Why do total solar eclipses not happen every month when there is a new moon?(1 point)
Responses
There are solar eclipses every month, just not total solar eclipses.
There are solar eclipses every month, just not total solar eclipses.
The sun, the moon, and Earth do not line up perfectly every time there is a new moon.
The sun, the moon, and Earth do not line up perfectly every time there is a new moon.
There are lunar eclipses, not solar eclipses, when there is a new moon.
There are lunar eclipses, not solar eclipses, when there is a new moon.
Solar eclipses happen when there is a full moon, not a new moon.
The correct response is: "The sun, the moon, and Earth do not line up perfectly every time there is a new moon."
To understand why total solar eclipses do not happen every month when there is a new moon, it is important to consider the geometry of the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun.
During a new moon, the Moon is located between the Earth and the Sun. However, the Moon's orbit is inclined by about 5 degrees relative to Earth's orbit around the Sun. This means that most of the time, the Moon passes above or below the line connecting the Earth and the Sun during a new moon phase.
For a total solar eclipse to occur, the Moon's orbit must intersect the Earth-Sun line precisely. This alignment happens only when the Moon crosses the ecliptic plane, which is the plane defined by Earth's orbit around the Sun. The occurrence of this precise alignment is relatively rare because of the Moon's inclination.
As a result, total solar eclipses are not a monthly event during a new moon phase. However, partial solar eclipses can still occur when the Moon does not align perfectly and only partially blocks the Sun.
In contrast, lunar eclipses happen during a full moon phase. In this case, the Earth is located between the Moon and the Sun, allowing the Earth's shadow to be cast on the Moon. So, lunar eclipses have a higher frequency compared to total solar eclipses.