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ECLIPSES

Middle School Lesson Plan

Source: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-an-eclipse-58

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WHAT IS AN ECLIPSE?

  • An eclipse takes place when one heavenly body such as a moon or planet moves into the shadow of another heavenly body.
  • There are two types of eclipses on Earth: an eclipse of the moon and an eclipse of the sun.

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WHAT IS A LUNAR ECLIPSE?

  • The moon moves in an orbit around the Earth, and at the same time the Earth orbits the sun.
  • Sometimes, when the Earth moves between the sun and the moon, Earth blocks the sunlight that normally is reflected by the moon. Instead of light hitting the moon’s surface, Earth’s shadow falls on it. This is an eclipse of the moon – a lunar eclipse.

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LUNAR ECLIPSE

  • A lunar eclipse can be seen from Earth at night.
  • Two types of eclipses: total and partial
  • A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon and the sun are on exact opposite sides of Earth.
  • Even though the moon is in Earth’s shadow, some sunlight is filtered by the Earth’s atmosphere. This light causes the moon to appear red to people on Earth.

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LUNAR ECLIPSES

  • Partial eclipses happen when only a portion of the moon enters Earth’s shadow.
  • Earth’s shadow appears very dark on the side of the moon facing Earth during a partial eclipse.
  • What people see from Earth during a partial lunar eclipse depends on how the sun, Earth, and moon are lined up.

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LUNAR ECLIPSE

  • Lunar eclipses usually last a few hours.
  • At least two partial lunar eclipses occur each year.
  • Total lunar eclipses are rare.
  • It is safe to look directly at a lunar eclipse.

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WHAT IS A SOLAR ECLIPSE?

  • Sometimes when the moon orbits the Earth, it moves between the sun and the Earth.
    • When this happens, the moon blocks the light of the sun from reaching Earth. This causes an eclipse of the sun, or a solar eclipse.
  • During a solar eclipse, the moon casts a shadow onto Earth.

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TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSES

  • There are three types of solar eclipses: total, partial, and annular.
  • A total solar eclipse is only visible from a small area on Earth.
  • To see a total solar eclipse, you must be in the center of the moon’s shadow when it hits Earth.
  • During a total solar eclipse, the sky becomes dark, as if it were night.
  • In order for a total solar eclipse to take place, the sun, moon, and Earth must be in a direct line.

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PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

  • A partial solar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon, and Earth are not exactly lined up.
  • The sun appears to have a dark shadow on only a small part of its surface.

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ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE

  • Annular eclipses happen when the moon is farthest from Earth in its orbit.
    • Because the moon is farther away from Earth, it seems smaller and does not block the entire view of the sun.
  • The moon in front of the sun looks like a dark disk on top of a larger sun-colored disk.
  • This creates what looks like a ring around the moon.

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SHADOWS

  • The umbra is the part of a shadow that is the darkest.
    • For a solar eclipse, this is the dark center of the moon’s shadow.
    • During a solar eclipse, the umbra gets smaller as it reaches Earth.
    • People standing in the moon’s umbra during a solar eclipse will see a total solar eclipse.
  • The Penumbra is the lighter, outer part of the shadow.
    • For a solar eclipse, the people standing in the moon’s penumbra will see a partial solar eclipse.
    • As the penumbra reaches Earth, it gets larger.

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SOLAR ECLIPSE FREQUENCY AND SAFETY

  • Solar eclipses occur once every 18 months.
  • Unlike lunar eclipses, solar eclipses only last for a few minutes.
  • IT IS NEVER OK TO LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN! EVER!
    • Never look directly at the Sun, even for a second! It will damage your eyesight forever!
    • SUNGLASSES DO NOT WORK, EVEN IF YOU STACK MANY OF THEM TOGETHER.
    • Use proper, safe viewers to view the sun.