Simplified Old Farmer's Almanac Trade Edition

What is a Lunar Eclipse? During a lunar eclipse, the Moon appears dark or dimmed. This occurs because the Earth is positioned directly between the Moon and the Sun, blocking much of the sunlight from reaching the Moon's surface. As a result, Earth's shadow is cast upon the Moon's surface. Occasionally, the Moon appears reddish-orange during an eclipse. This is because some of the light from the Sun makes it through Earth's atmosphere, but only the longer wavelengths corresponding to red and orange colors manage to reach the Moon. A lunar eclipse can only happen on the full Moon. The eclipse is technically visible from the entire night side of Earth, but during a penumbral eclipse, the dimming of the Moon's illumination is so slight that it can be difficult to notice unless one knows what to look for.

What is a Solar Eclipse? During a solar eclipse, the Moon blocks the Sun from view. The Moon, Earth, and Sun must be perfectly aligned, with the Moon positioned directly between the Earth and Sun. When the alignment is perfect, the Moon completely blocks our view of the Sun, casting its dark shadow on Earth. If the alignment is slightly off-center, the Moon may only partially obscure our view of the Sun. While lunar eclipses and solar eclipses occur with similar frequency (about four to seven times a year in total), solar eclipses are much rarer to witness. This is because they are only visible from a small area of Earth each time, and they require proper eye protection to be viewed safely.

More Types of Eclipses A total eclipse (of either the Moon or the Sun) occurs when the Moon or Sun is entirely blocked out. A partial eclipse (of either the Moon or the Sun) occurs when only part of the Moon or Sun is obscured. An annular eclipse is a type of solar eclipse. Annular eclipses are similar to total solar eclipses, where the Sun is completely obscured by the Moon. However, in an annular eclipse, the Moon's apparent size is smaller than the Sun's, resulting in a bright ring of light called an annulus remaining visible around the Moon. A penumbral eclipse is a type of lunar eclipse. Penumbral eclipses occur when the Moon enters only the faint outer edge of Earth's shadow (called the penumbra), causing the Moon to appear slightly darker than usual. This effect is so subtle that a penumbral eclipse can be challenging to recognize unless one knows what to look for.

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