SME
Grade 8 Science · Problem type
Solar eclipse or lunar eclipse?
Use this for “Why don’t we see an eclipse every month?” and “Which eclipse happens at full moon?”
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Which eclipse is it?
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Assumptions
•
The moon’s orbit is tilted about 5°, so its shadow usually misses Earth and Earth’s misses it: no eclipse most months.
•
The moon and sun look the same size from Earth, so the moon can just cover the sun.
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Related lessons
Gravity and orbits in the solar system
Main lesson
Your weight on other worlds
Use this for “A 50 kg student weighs 490 N on Earth. What would she weigh on the moon?”
Farther out, longer year
Use this for “Mars is 1.5 times as far from the sun as Earth. How long is its year?”
The planets to scale
Use this for “Why do the sun and moon look about the same size?” and “How many Earths wide is Jupiter?”
Why the moon changes shape
Use this for “Why does the moon look like a crescent some nights and a full circle on others?”