![]() ![]() Special conditions must occur for the two events to coincide because the Moon's orbit crosses the ecliptic at its orbital nodes twice every draconic month (27.212220 days) while a new moon occurs one every synodic month (29.53059 days). A solar eclipse can occur only when the Moon is close enough to the ecliptic plane during a new moon. However, since the Moon's orbit is tilted at more than 5 degrees to the Earth's orbit around the Sun, its shadow usually misses Earth. If the Moon were in a perfectly circular orbit, a little closer to the Earth, and in the same orbital plane, there would be total solar eclipses every new moon. In partial and annular eclipses, only part of the Sun is obscured. In a total eclipse, the disk of the Sun is fully obscured by the Moon. Such alignment coincides with a new moon ( syzygy) indicating the Moon is closest to the ecliptic plane. This occurs when the Sun, Moon and Earth are aligned. ![]() During a partial solar eclipse (right), the Moon blocks only part of the Sun's disk ( October 23, 2014).Ī solar eclipse occurs when a portion of the Earth is engulfed in a shadow cast by the Moon which fully or partially blocks sunlight. ![]() An annular solar eclipse (left) occurs when the Moon is too far away to completely cover the Sun's disk ( May 20, 2012).
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