An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when one astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. There are two types of eclipses that can be observed from Earth: lunar and solar.

• Lunar Eclipse: A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, and (part of) the Moon is shaded by Earth.

• Solar Eclipse: A solar eclipse happens when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are perfectly aligned. The Moon blocks light from the Sun and casts a shadow on Earth. There are three main types of solar eclipses:

  • Total solar eclipse: The Moon completely blocks the Sun, and the Suns corona is visible around the Moon.

  • Partial solar eclipse: The Moon only partially blocks the Sun, and the Sun appears as a crescent.

  • Annular solar eclipse: The Moon is farthest from Earth, and it seems smaller, so it does not block the entire view of the Sun. The Moon in front of the Sun looks like a dark disk on top of a larger Sun-colored disk, creating what looks like a ring around the Moon.

During a solar eclipse, the Moon casts two shadows on Earth: the umbra and the penumbra. The umbra is the darkest part of the shadow, where the Sun is completely blocked, while the penumbra is a lighter shadow, where the Sun is only partially blocked.