Question

What effect or effects would be most significant if the Moon's orbital plane were exactly the same as the ecliptic plane?

1) Solar eclipses would be much rarer.
2) Solar eclipses would last much longer.
3) We would have a solar eclipse at every new moon and a lunar eclipse at every full moon.
4) Lunar eclipses would be much rarer.
5) Lunar eclipses would last much longer.

Answer 1

If the Moon's orbital plane matched the ecliptic, we would have a solar eclipse at every new moon and a lunar eclipse at every full moon, significantly changing the nature and frequency of these events.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the Moon's orbital plane were exactly the same as the ecliptic plane, the most significant effect would be that we would experience a solar eclipse at every new moon and a lunar eclipse at every full moon. This scenario presumes that the Moon's orbit is not tilted relative to the ecliptic by its current 5° angle.

Without this tilt, the Moon would align directly between the Earth and Sun at every new moon, leading to a solar eclipse, and the Earth would align directly between the Sun and the Moon at every full moon, resulting in a lunar eclipse. The nature of eclipses and their frequency would be fundamentally altered under these conditions.