5,363 views
30 votes
30 votes
You are standing outside with the sky goes dark. You are experiencing some type of eclipse but aren’t sure which kind. What information would you look for to determine whether or not you’re in the middle of a lunar or solar eclipse? In your answer, be sure to mention each type of lunar and solar eclipse and how to differentiate between them

User Syed Salman Akbar
by
2.6k points

2 Answers

8 votes
8 votes

Final answer:

To determine if you're experiencing a solar or lunar eclipse, note the time of day and if the Sun or Moon is being occluded. Solar eclipses happen during the day and feature the Moon covering the Sun, leading to darkness and visible stars. Lunar eclipses occur at night, make the full moon appear dim and reddish, and are visible to anyone on Earth's night side.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine whether you are experiencing a solar eclipse or a lunar eclipse, you should first consider the time of day and the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky. If the eclipse happens during the day and you notice the Sun getting progressively covered by the Moon, this is indicative of a solar eclipse. In a total solar eclipse, you would see the Moon's silhouette against the Sun, followed by a darkening sky, and during totality, even stars and planets can become visible. Totality is marked by the Sun's corona becoming visible as the bright disk of the Sun is completely covered.

On the other hand, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon enters the shadow of Earth, and this can only take place at night when the Moon is in the full phase. During a lunar eclipse, the Moon dims and takes on a reddish hue as it moves into Earth's shadow, rather than the Sun disappearing from view. Lunar eclipses are visible to everyone on the night side of Earth, hence they are more common to experience from a given place than solar eclipses.

User Antao
by
3.6k points
17 votes
17 votes

Answer:

I would first look for a small ring like light also if I burns your eyes its solar And if it was lunar I would look for if the sun and earth are on opposite sides that's a sign its lunar they are diffrent because a lunar eclipse happens by the sun and earth and solar eclipses happens with the moon blocks the sun from reaching earth.

User Bhumit Mehta
by
2.7k points