BY Team Aakash Byju's

When Does a Lunar Eclipse Occur? What Is the Concept Behind It?

Did you know why the color of the moon is white?

Because it is just the brightness of the sun reflected off the moon’s surface.

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Let us first understand the lunar phases, which is a change in the amount of moon we see.

Yes, the amount of moon we see, change everyday changes over the month because the moon orbits the earth, and the earth orbits the sun.

Then, there is a phase when the earth comes in between the sun and the moon. This is a process of the ‘Lunar eclipse’.

 Here the earth blocks sunlight from falling on the moon & the earth’s shadow covers the entire moon.

This process happens only if the moon is aligned with the sun and the earth.

Due to this the lunar eclipse happens only on a full moon or new moon day where the sun, moon, and the earth are aligned.

Further, we have two types of lunar eclipses, a ‘Total lunar eclipse’ and a  ‘Partial lunar eclipse’.

 If the sun and the moon are exactly on the opposite side of the earth, then the ‘Total lunar eclipse’ occurs.

When the eclipse happens only due to the shadow of the earth on the moon, it is called a ‘Partial lunar eclipse’.

Sometimes, during the lunar eclipse, the moon appears reddish.

This is because the sunlight is coming from the edges of the earth.