Solar Eclipse

    A solar eclipse occurs when the moon is between the sun and the earth in a direct line, or as observed in the previous image. To witness a total solar eclipse, you have to be in the umbra (the total shadow). To witness a partial eclipse, you’d have to be in the penumbra, or the partial shadow. Because light rays travel in a straight line, and all three bodies are lined up in a row, the moon blocks rays coming directly from the sun. However, some light rays slip past the moon, and taint the outer edges of the umbra, creating the penumbra (the partial shadow). The moon is much smaller then the earth, so the umbra is smaller than a lunar eclipse, where the earth blocks light to the moon. Although you'd expect there to be a solar eclipse every month when the moon is new, the revolution of the moon is 29.5 days, and the sun, moon, and earth don't always line up straight. Below is an image and a diagram of a solar eclipse.

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