Solar Eclipse vs. Lunar Eclipse

Eclipse is the obscuring of one celestial body by another, particularly it happens because of sun or moon. Two main types of eclipses involve the Lunar Eclipse and Solar Eclipse. Both these Eclipses involve the earth, eclipses that take place due to the moon are called Lunar eclipse and those which take place due to the sun are called solar eclipses. Both these eclipses are different from each other. A Lunar eclipse occurs when the earth is between the sun and the moon and it’s shadow darkens the moon. Whereas the solar eclipse occurs when the moon is between the sun and it’s shadow moves across the face of the earth.

What is the Solar Eclipse?

While observing through the Earth, a solar eclipse is a kind of eclipse that happens when the particular Moon moves between your Sun and Earth, as well as the Moon completely or even in some measure obstructs sunlight. This could occur limited to new moon, in the event the Sun and also the Moon has been in combination whenever seen from Planet within a position known as syzygy. Within a total eclipse, the particular disk from the Sun is actually totally hidden by the Moon. Inside partial and also annular eclipses, a just section of the Sun is actually obscured. If the particular Celestial satellite has been within a completely spherical orbit, just a little nearer to our planet, and inside exactly the same orbital plane, generally there would certainly end up being complete solar eclipses on a monthly basis. Nevertheless, the particular Moon’s orbit is actually willing (moved) with a lot more than Five levels towards the Planet’s orbit around the Sun, which means that it’s a shadow with new moon generally misses Earth. Planet’s orbit is known as the ecliptic plane because the Moon’s orbit should cross this specific plane to ensure that a good eclipse (each of those solar in addition to lunar) to take place. Additionally, the Moon’s real orbit will be elliptical, usually getting it considerably adequate far away from Planet the reason is evident dimension is actually not big enough to stop sunlight totally. The particular orbital planes cross one another with a line of nodes leading to a minimum of two, and as much as 5, solar eclipses happening every year.

Solar Eclipse

What is Lunar Eclipse?

A lunar eclipse takes place when the Celestial satellite moon moves immediately right behind the Earth directly into its umbra (shadow). This will happen only once the sun, Earth and also the moon tend to be in-line precisely, or even very meticulously which means that while using Earth at the center. Therefore, a lunar new moon can take place exactly the night associated with a complete moon. The kind, as well as the duration of an eclipse, is determined by the particular Moon’s position in accordance with its orbital nodes. A complete lunar eclipse contains the sunlight entirely hindered through the earth’s darkness. Truly the only light observed will be refracted from your earth’s shadow. This specific light appears red for the very same explanation why the particular sunset seems reddish, because of Rayleigh dispersing from the much more blue light. Due to its reddish shade, an overall total lunar eclipse is usually termed as a blood moon. Unlike some sort of solar eclipse, which is often considered exclusively originating from a specific relatively smaller section of the globe, a lunar eclipse could possibly be considered from any place around the night side of the world. A lunar eclipse will last for several hours, however, a whole solar eclipse may last for a short time at any kind of place, because of the moderate proportions of the particular Moon’s darkness. Furthermore, in contrast to solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are secure to watch with virtually no eyesight safety or even distinctive safety measures, since they are dimmer compared to the full moon.

Lunar Eclipses

Key Differences between Solar Eclipse and Lunar Eclipse

  1. Earth lies between the sun and the moon. Earth blocks the light of the sun and shadow of earth falls on the moon whereas on the other in solar eclipse moon lies between the sun and the earth. Moon blocks the light of the sun and shadow of the moon falls on the earth.
  2. A lunar eclipse always occurs at the time of the full moon whereas solar eclipse always occurs at the time of the new moon.
  3. A lunar eclipse occurs almost twice a year whereas solar eclipse is visible in only some areas of the world
  4. Duration of a solar eclipse is usually a few minutes whereas the duration of the Lunar eclipse is about two to four hours.
  5. It is safe to look at the moon during Lunar eclipse whereas retina gets damaged if solar eclipse seen is seen with a naked eye.
  6. Normally lunar eclipse occurs at night whereas solar eclipse occurs at day time
  7. Types of the lunar eclipse are either Penumbral, partial, total or horizontal whereas types of Solar eclipse is Total, annular, hybrid and partial.

Video Explanation

Leave a Comment