Planets In Our Solar System That Don’t Experience Eclipses

An eclipse occurs when a planet’s satellite passes between the Sun and a hypothetical observer standing on the surface of that planet. For an eclipse to take place, in other words, a planet must have moons. These moons must appear large relative to the size of the Sun when viewed from the surface of the planet, so the distance the planet is from the sun will also have some effect on whether the planet experiences total eclipses.

In our solar system, only two planets are without moons: Mercury and Venus. Neither of these planets will ever experience a Read the rest of this entry »

Solar Eclipses On Mars And Their Effect On Earth

Solar eclipses occur on Mars when one of the two Martian moons, Phobos and Deimos, pass between the surface of Mars and the Sun. Unlike a solar eclipse with our moon, Phobos and Deimos are too small to completely block out the surface of the sun, so a person standing on Mars would only see a small circle moving across the surface of the sun. You may wonder”how could these eclipses affect Earth? Well, some people think that eclipses can change gravity. Some Read the rest of this entry »

Solar Eclipses Occurring On Gas Giant Planets

Because solar eclipses occur when a planet’s moon intervenes between the surface of the planet and the sun, eclipses are more common on planets with many moons. The gas giants, namely Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, experience many solar eclipses because each planet has many moons.

Of all the gas giants, Jupiter’s eclipses are the most impressive and the most easily observed. Jupiter has four large moons and a low axial tilt, and the shadows of the moons can frequently be seen moving across the surface of the planet. The Read the rest of this entry »

Jupiter Eclipses Provided First Estimate Of Speed Of Light

The first estimate of the speed of light was off by 30. Even so, it was an incredible human achievement to even get close to figuring it out. It was actually a compilation of work from three of the greatest minds in human history Galileo, Cassini and Roemer. And who would have thought that their efforts to find a good way to circumnavigate our own planet would lead to figuring out the speed of light? Indeed, who Read the rest of this entry »

The Historical Timeline of Eclipses And How It’s Changing

Eclipses are astronomical events that occur when a celestial body is obscured by the shadow of another. We typically say eclipse when we speak about one of two such events that involve the Earth, Moon and Sun, but eclipses also happen when other astronomical objects fall into one another’s shadow. These events have been noted by astronomers and astrologers for thousands of years.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves between the Sun and Earth Read the rest of this entry »

Fun Ways For Kids To Experience Eclipses

Earlier in summer, much of the Arab world was able to view a lunar eclipse. This celestial event, of course, is safer than observing a solar eclipse, which should always be made evident to children.
Parents and educators often find fun, informative, and age-appropriate ways to explain the various types of eclipses and how to experience them. Sometimes, children watch TV, films or webcasts, or draw, or even have or see related puppet shows!
For the lunar eclipse, one can use or even Read the rest of this entry »

Is Stonehenge Somehow Related to Eclipses?

Stonehenge has been shrouded in mystery for many years. People have always wondered about the ones who built the giant, mystic structure. Who were they? What were they doing? These are some of the questions that have been on the minds of scientists and conspiracy theorists alike. One popular theory is that Stonehenge was built by an ancient civilization as a type of advanced eclipse calculator.

The eclipse theory has been gaining in popularity for a few decades. Ever since scientists realized that the major stones on the structure are perfectly Read the rest of this entry »

Exlporing Eclipses With Your Kids

If you’ve got kids interested in space you can consider yourself lucky – space curriculum has all but disappeared from schools and even NASA’s cutting the cord on the space program. Here are a few of the best ways to teach your kids about the magic of eclipses and what they mean to the planet.
Get Online: If you’ve got a www.wildbluedeals.com subscription or other internet medium you’ve got access Read the rest of this entry »

Regions Of Earth’s Shadow – The Penumbra Eclipse

We all know that the Sun shines light on the Earth and unless it is 12 O’clock noon everything casts a shadow. Did you know that the Earth also casts a Shadow? When Sunlight reaches the Earth, the surface of the Earth facing the Sun is illuminated and the opposite surface is dark. The Dark area is the Earth’s shadow. The Earth’s Shadow has two parts, the Umbra and the Penumbra. The Umbra is the center Read the rest of this entry »

Regions Of Earth’s Shadow – The Antumbra Eclipse

The antumbra eclipse, which is known as the annular eclipse, occurs when the Earth passes into the Moon’s shadow. It is one of the four types of eclipse: partial, annular, total and hybrid. In this kind of eclipse, the Moon is surrounded by a circle of light as the Moon does not completely cover the Sun. We are at an interesting point in time for eclipses.

In the past, the Moon was closer to the Earth than it is now which caused many more full eclipses. Many people are unaware the Moon is Read the rest of this entry »