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Astronomy Year / Week 12 / Monday
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Week 12 · Plan Your Own Sky Night

Monday

What is an eclipse?
// Eclipse safety and your year of sky watching
⏱ about 15 min

Monday: What is an eclipse?

Rocket reads a sky news story. "An eclipse! What is that?"

Raven lines up a lamp, a ball and a small ball. "What do you notice about the shadow?"

Nova hums. "Hint: an eclipse happens when something gets in the way of sunlight."

Two kinds of eclipse

In a solar eclipse, the Moon blocks the Sun's light.

The Moon casts its shadow on Earth.

In a lunar eclipse, Earth gets in the way.

Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the Moon.

EclipseWhat gets in the wayMoon phase
Solar eclipseThe MoonNew moon
Lunar eclipseEarthFull moon
ECLIPSE CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
In a solar eclipse, what gets in the way of the Sun?
In a lunar eclipse, what gets in the way?
A lunar eclipse can only happen at which Moon phase?
Eclipse factTrue or false?
A solar eclipse happens at new moon.?
In a lunar eclipse, Earth blocks sunlight from the Moon.?
An eclipse happens every night.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEKnowing the kind of eclipse tells you how to watch safely.

Make an eclipse model

Try it
A grown-up sets a lamp on a table. The lamp is the Sun.
Hold a big ball. It is Earth.
Move a small ball for the Moon.
Move the Moon in the way of the light. See its shadow on Earth?
Now move the Moon behind Earth. Earth blocks the light.
Safety first
A grown-up handles the lamp. Lamps get hot.
Never look straight into the lamp.
MODEL CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
In the model, what is the lamp?
In a solar eclipse, whose shadow falls on Earth?
A solar eclipse can only happen at which Moon phase?
In a lunar eclipse, what blocks the sunlight?
MAKE A SOLAR ECLIPSE IN THE MODEL
  • Tap a card.
  • Then tap its spot.
1First
2Next
3Last
Draw the lamp, the big ball and the small ball.

You know the two kinds of eclipse! Tomorrow we learn how to watch safely.