![]() ![]() So since the last eclipse of 2021 occurred in early December, the first eclipse of 2022 doesn’t take place until April 30th. (The technical name for that, by the way, is syzygy.) And, as the diagram above implies, those alignments occur roughly a half year apart. These alignments don’t happen at every new and full Moon because the lunar orbit is tipped about 5° to Earth’s orbital plane - only occasionally do the Sun, Earth, and Moon line up exactly enough for an eclipse to occur. in August 2017, occurs only at new Moon, when the lunar disk passes directly between us and the Sun and consequently the Moon’s shadow falls somewhere on Earth’s surface.Ĭonversely, a lunar eclipse takes place during full Moon, when our satellite passes through Earth’s shadow. Eclipse “windows” occur six months apart.īefore describing this year's individual events, let’s explore some eclipse basics.Ī solar eclipse, such as the one seen coast to coast across the U.S. Eclipses of the Sun or Moon can only occur when the Moon crosses the plane of Earth's orbit (orange circle) very close to the time of new or full Moon.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |