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Chapter 2: Problem 25

A lunar eclipse occurs when ___ shadow falls on ___. a. Earth's; the Moon b. the Moon's; Earth c. the Sun's; the Moon d. the Sun's; Earth

Short Answer

Expert verified
a. Earth's; the Moon

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the Concept of a Lunar Eclipse

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, causing the Earth's shadow to fall on the Moon.
02

Identify the Correct Relationship

From the definition, it is clear that the Earth's shadow falls on the Moon during a lunar eclipse.
03

Match with Given Options

Now match this understanding with the given options. The option 'a. Earth's; the Moon' fits the description.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Earth's Shadow
The Earth's shadow plays a crucial role in a lunar eclipse. During this event, the Earth blocks sunlight that would otherwise illuminate the Moon.
This causes the Earth's shadow to cover the Moon. The shadow has two parts: the umbra and the penumbra.

  • The umbra is the central part where the Sun’s light is completely blocked.
  • The penumbra is the outer part where the Sun’s light is only partially blocked.
When the Moon passes through the Earth’s umbra, we see a total lunar eclipse. If it only passes through the penumbra, we witness a partial or penumbral lunar eclipse.
Understanding the Earth's shadow helps explain why the Moon sometimes appears red during a total lunar eclipse. This is due to the Earth's atmosphere scattering sunlight, filtering it, and bending it towards the Moon.
Moon
The Moon is the celestial body affected during a lunar eclipse. It orbits the Earth and occasionally passes through Earth's shadow.
This only happens during a full moon when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align in a straight line. The Moon doesn't emit its own light; it reflects the Sun's light.
During a lunar eclipse, the Earth's shadow changes the amount and color of the light that reaches the Moon.

  • In a total lunar eclipse, the Moon may appear dark red or brown due to Rayleigh scattering.
  • In a partial eclipse, only part of the Moon enters Earth's umbra, so only a section gets darkened.
  • In a penumbral eclipse, the entire Moon passes through Earth's penumbra, and it becomes slightly darkened.
Sun-Earth-Moon Alignment
A lunar eclipse requires a specific alignment of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. This alignment is called syzygy. During a lunar eclipse, they must be perfectly aligned.

  • The Sun provides the light that the Earth blocks with its shadow.
  • The Earth is in the middle, casting its shadow on the Moon.
  • The Moon must be at the right point in its orbit around Earth, which occurs only during a full moon.
Misalignment could result in no eclipse or only a partial eclipse.
So, it is essential for the Moon to be exactly in the Earth's shadow for a total lunar eclipse to occur.
These alignments are predictable, allowing us to anticipate future lunar eclipses.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Go to the "Earth and Moon Viewer" website (http://four milab.ch/earthview). Under "Viewing the Earth," click on "latitude, longitude and altitude" and enter your approximate latitude and longitude, and 40,000 for altitude; then select "View Earth." Are you in daytime or nighttime? Now play with the locations; keep the same latitude but change to the opposite hemisphere (Northern or Southern). Is it still night or day? Go back to your latitude, and this time enter \(180^{\circ}\) minus your longitude, and change from west to east, or from east to west, so that you are looking at the opposite side of Earth. Is it night or day there? What do you see at the North Pole (latitude \(90^{\circ}\) north) and the South Pole (latitude \(\left.90^{\circ} \text { south }\right) ?\) At the bottom of your screen you can play with the time. Move back 12 hours. What do you observe at your location and at the poles?

If you look due East, you will see the point at which a. the Sun rises. b. the celestial equator intersects the horizon. c. all the stars rise. d. the Sun sets.

If you were standing at Earth's North Pole, where would you see the north celestial pole relative to your zenith?

Suppose you would like to witness the midnight Sun (when the Sun appears just above the northern horizon at midnight), but you don't want to travel any farther north than necessary. a. How far north (that is, to which latitude) would you have to go? b. At what time of year would you make this trip?

Imagine that you are flying along in a jetliner. a. Define your frame of reference. b. What relative motions take place within your frame of reference?
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