Sometimes a Full Moon will line up directly with the Earth and Sun, allowing it to pass through the shadow of the Earth. When this happens, the Moon turns dark , sometimes a coppery red color, for as long as an hour or more. This is referred to as a Lunar Eclipse.
Eclipse Photography Copyright 1999 by Fred Espenak
Sometimes a New Moon will line up directly with the Earth and the sun, casting its shadow on the Earth and blocking out our view of the sun. In the narrow path of the Moon's shadow, daytime turns to an eerie darkness and the wispy halo of the sun, the corona, comes into view as the Moon blocks out the rest of the sun. This is referred to as a Solar Eclipse.
Eclipse Photography Copyright 1999 by Fred Espenak
We have a New and Full Moon every month, but we don't have a Lunar and Solar eclipse every month because the Moon's orbit is tilted 5 degrees with respect to the Earth's orbit. The New Moon and Full Moon phases align with the Earth and sun about every 6 months, creating the conditions necessary for an eclipse.
