Question

Earth's shadow on the Moon is the reason we see?

1) solar eclipses
2) Earth's shadow cannot fall on the Moon
3) lunar eclipses
4) the phases of the Moon

Answer 1

Earth's shadow on the Moon is the reason for lunar eclipses, which occur when the Earth's dark shadow, spanning 1.4 million kilometers, covers the Moon and can be seen by anyone on the night side of Earth.

Step-by-step explanation:

Earth's shadow on the Moon is the reason we see lunar eclipses. During a lunar eclipse, the Earth's dark shadow can cover about four full moons at the Moon's average distance of 384,000 kilometers from Earth. This shadow is about 1.4 million kilometers long. A lunar eclipse can be observed by anyone on the night side of Earth where the Moon is visible, making it more frequently observed from a given place on Earth compared to a solar eclipse. It's important to note that Earth's shadow does not cause the phases of the Moon; those are the result of the Moon's motion relative to the bright light source of the solar system, the Sun.