There are two or three eclipses during every eclipse season. While rare, the maximum number of eclipses that can take place in a calendar year is seven. Most years have four eclipses: the minimum number of eclipses in a year 2 of these four eclipses are always solar eclipses. How Often Do Solar and Lunar Eclipses Occur On average, there are about 240 solar eclipses and a similar number of lunar eclipses each century. By comparison, a total lunar eclipse, also known as a Blood Moon, can be seen from any location approximately every 2.5 years. On average, it takes about 375 years for a total solar eclipse to happen again at the same location. The next total eclipse in the US is in April 2024. This was the first total solar eclipse visible from anywhere in mainland United States since the total solar eclipse in February 1979. On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse was visible in a narrow track spanning the United States. This is because while a solar eclipse is only visible from a very narrow path on Earth, a lunar eclipse is visible from every location on the night side of the Earth while it lasts. Lunar EclipsesĮven though solar eclipses occur every year, they are considered a rare sight, much rarer than a lunar eclipse.
The plane of the Moon's path around the Earth is inclined at an angle of approximately 5° to the ecliptic.
The lunar nodes are the two points where the plane of the Moon's orbital path around Earth meets Earth's orbital plane around the Sun, the ecliptic. This period is called the eclipse season, and it is the only time that eclipses take place. This can only happen during a period of time that occurs a little less than every six months, and lasts, on average, around 34.5 days. The New Moon also has to be near a lunar node. But this does not mean that eclipses of the Sun happen every New Moon. Solar eclipses only occur around the New Moon because of the alignment of Earth, the Moon, and the Sun which happens at that time. Lunar nodes are the locations where the Moon crosses the Earth's orbital plane.
0 kommentar(er)
