Why do we not see a lunar eclipse during each full moon when the earth is in between the Sun and the Moon? Does it depend on the seasons?
I looked this up online, and it seems like there is always a lunar eclipse when the earth is between the Sun and Moon in alignment...
the orbits of the Moon around the Earth and the Earth around the Sun are not co-planar
sometimes the bodies align for an eclipse , and sometimes they don't
The occurrence of a lunar eclipse does not happen during every full moon because the Moon's orbit around the Earth is inclined. This means that most of the time, the Earth, Moon, and Sun don't align perfectly. Instead, the Moon orbits slightly above or below the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun, called the ecliptic.
To get a better understanding, visualize the Earth's orbit around the Sun as a flat plane, similar to the surface of a table. The Moon's orbit is inclined at an angle to this plane, so it is not always perfectly aligned with the Sun and Earth during a full moon.
During most full moons, the Moon is either slightly above or below the Earth's shadow, cast by the Sun. As a result, the Moon simply passes above or below the shadow, and no lunar eclipse occurs.
However, there are specific points in the Moon's orbit known as lunar nodes, where its path intersects the ecliptic. When a full moon occurs near one of these lunar nodes, it increases the chances of a lunar eclipse because the alignment between the Earth, Moon, and Sun is more precise.
Additionally, the occurrence of lunar eclipses can also be affected by the seasons. This is because the path of the Moon through Earth's shadow can be tilted slightly due to the tilt of the Earth's axis. As a result, the likelihood of a lunar eclipse can vary depending on the time of the year.
In summary, lunar eclipse occurrences depend on the alignment of the Earth, Moon, and Sun during a full moon, as well as the inclination of the Moon's orbit. It does not happen during every full moon, and the frequency can also be influenced by seasonal variations.