Science Common Sense

577 - What causes a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse?

Imagine the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun are like three big balls in space.

A Solar Eclipse happens when the Moon moves in front of the Sun, blocking the sunlight from reaching the Earth. This can only happen during a new moon when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun.

A Lunar Eclipse happens when the Earth moves in front of the Sun, blocking the sunlight from reaching the Moon. This can only happen during a full moon when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon.