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Eclipses'

Last post 02-27-2007 9:03 PM by Pat Reiff. 1 replies.
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  • 10-06-2006 7:08 PM

    Eclipses'

    How often does an eclipse happen?  And when was the last one?

    I hope you anwser this before solar week is over because I really want to know.

    Thank You!
    Sarah EB

  • 02-27-2007 9:03 PM In reply to

    • Pat Reiff
    • Top 25 Contributor
    • Joined on 02-27-2005
    • Rice University
    • Posts 34

    Re: Eclipses'

    Eclipse seasons can happen twice a year, when the moon's orbit plane crosses the earth's orbit. We are near a "node" now, with a lunar eclipse happening this Saturday evening, March 3. There will be a partial solar eclipse two weeks later (March 19). Solar eclipses happen at new moon and lunar eclipses at full moon. But the best eclipses are total solar eclipses, which happen roughly once per year or two. I went to the total eclipse in Libya last March 29 (06), and will go to one in Mongolia in August 08 and in China in August 09. I've been to seven total eclipses so far! Most of the time the moon is a little too far from earth to cover the entire sun, so we get an annular eclipse, like Sept 22 06. If they are not exactly in line, we get a partial solar eclipse like we will get on March 19 and Sept 11 of this year.

    http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html
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