Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 2: Problem 26

If people on Earth were observing a lunar eclipse, what would you see from the Moon?

Short Answer

Expert verified
On the Moon during a lunar eclipse, you would see a solar eclipse.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the Scenario

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, and Earth's shadow falls on the Moon. From this position, consider what people observing from the Moon would see.
02

Position of the Earth, Moon, and Sun

During a lunar eclipse, the Earth is located directly between the Sun and the Moon. This means that, from the Moon, the Sun would be obscured by the Earth.
03

Observation from the Moon

From the Moon's surface, one would see the Earth covering the Sun, leading to what is called a solar eclipse. Essentially, the Earth would appear as a dark disk with a halo of sunlight surrounding it due to the atmosphere of the Earth scattering the sunlight.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

Key Concepts

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

Earth's shadow
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is perfectly aligned between the Sun and the Moon. During this event, Earth's shadow falls on the Moon. This shadow is actually a mix of two types: the umbra and the penumbra.
The umbra is the inner, darker part of the shadow where the Sun's light is completely blocked. The penumbra is the outer, lighter part where the Sun's light is only partially blocked.
When the Moon passes through Earth's umbra, it appears reddish due to Rayleigh scattering of sunlight through Earth's atmosphere. This is why a total lunar eclipse is sometimes called a 'blood moon'.
Solar eclipse from the Moon
If you were standing on the Moon during a lunar eclipse, you would actually be witnessing a solar eclipse. This is because the Earth is blocking the Sun's light.
From the Moon, the Earth would look like a dark disk obscuring the Sun. Since the Earth's atmosphere bends and scatters sunlight, you'd see a glowing halo around the Earth's edge. This phenomenon is called the solar corona.
This sight is similar to what people on Earth see during a total solar eclipse, where the Moon blocks the Sun instead.
Sun-Earth-Moon alignment
The alignment of the Sun, Earth, and Moon is crucial for eclipses to occur. For a lunar eclipse to happen, the three bodies must be in a straight line.
The Moon is on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun, allowing it to pass through Earth's shadow. This straight-line alignment is called 'syzygy'.
Such precise alignment doesn't happen every month because the Moon's orbit is tilted about 5 degrees to Earth's orbit around the Sun. Both solar and lunar eclipses can only occur when the alignments coincide with the points where their orbital planes intersect.

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

We always see the same side of the Moon because a. the Moon does not rotate on its axis. b. the Moon rotates on its axis once for each revolution around Earth c. when the other side of the Moon is facing Earth, it is unlit. d. when the other side of the Moon is facing Earth, it is on the opposite side of Earth.

Explain how a cyclic change in Earth's tilt could affect its seasonal temperatures.

On the summer solstice in June, the Sun will be directly above __________ and all locations north of _________ will experience daylight all day. a. the Tropic of Cancer; the Antarctic Circle b. the Tropic of Capricorn; the Arctic Circle c. the Tropic of Cancer; the Arctic Circle d. the Tropic of Capricorn; the Antarctic Circle

Polaris, the North Star, is unique because a. it is the brightest star in the night sky. b. it is the only star in the sky that doesn't move throughout the night. c. it is always located at the zenith, for any observer. d. it has a longer path above the horizon than any other star.

Which is not true on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes? a. Every place on Earth has 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. b. The Sun rises due east and sets due west. c. The Sun is located on the celestial equator. d. The motion of the stars in the sky is different than on other days.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

Mechanics and Materials

Read Explanation

Measurements

Read Explanation

Waves Physics

Read Explanation

Further Mechanics and Thermal Physics

Read Explanation

Medical Physics

Read Explanation

Circular Motion and Gravitation

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free