What is an eclipse?
An eclipse happens when the Sun, Earth and Moon line up in a row, so one blocks the light and casts a shadow on another. There are two kinds: a lunar eclipse and a solar eclipse.
Lunar eclipse (Moon)
A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon. The Earth blocks sunlight, so its shadow falls on the Moon. The Moon looks dark. It happens at night.
Key idea
Lunar eclipse: Sun — Earth — Moon. Earth's shadow falls on the Moon.
Solar eclipse: Sun — Moon — Earth. The Moon's shadow falls on the Earth.
Solar eclipse (Sun)
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth. The Moon blocks the Sun's light, so the Moon's shadow falls on part of the Earth. The sky turns dark in daytime. Never look straight at the Sun during a solar eclipse — it can hurt your eyes.
Remember
- Lunar eclipse — Earth in the middle, at night.
- Solar eclipse — Moon in the middle, in the day.