Types of solar and lunar eclipses

Partial lunar eclipse in 2008 seen in Germany.

iStockphoto.com/cinoby
An eclipse is an astronomical event when one celestial body partially or totally covers another celestial object. We can see two
kinds of eclipses from Earth - eclipses of the Sun (Solar eclipses), and eclipses of the Moon (Lunar eclipses).
Solar eclipses
Solar eclipses can only occur during the new Moon, when the Moon moves between
Earth and Sun and the three celestial bodies form a straight line: Earth - Moon - Sun.
There are 4 kinds of solar eclipses: total, partial, annular, and hybrid.
Total solar eclipses
A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon completely covers the sun, as seen from
Earth.
Partial solar eclipses
Partial solar eclipses can be observed when only the lunar penumbra (the partially
shaded outer region of the shadow cast by an object) touches the Earth.
Annular solar eclipses
Annular eclipses occur when the Moon appears smaller than the Sun as it passes
centrally across the solar disk and a bright ring, or annulus, of sunlight remains visible during the eclipse.
Hybrid solar eclipses
Hybrid eclipses are a rare form of solar eclipse, which changes from an annular to a total solar eclipse along its path.
Lunar eclipses
The Moon does not have its
own light. It shines because its
surface reflects the Suns rays.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the
Earth comes between the Sun
and the Moon and blocks the
Suns rays from directly
reaching the Moon. Lunar
eclipses only happen at full
Moon.
There are 3 kinds of lunar
eclipses: total, partial, and
penumbral.
Total lunar eclipses
Total lunar eclipses occur
when the Earths umbra
obscures all of the Moons
visible surface.
Partial lunar eclipses
Partial lunar eclipses can be
observed when only part of the
Moons visible surface is
obscured by the Earths umbra.
Penumbral lunar
eclipses
Penumbral lunar eclipses happen when the Moon travels through the faint penumbral portion of the Earths shadow.
A partial solar eclipse.
iStockphoto.com/Hans-Walter Untch
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11/2/2014 http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/eclipse-information.html
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Page 2 of 2 Types of solar and lunar eclipses
11/2/2014 http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/eclipse-information.html