Science Homework!! Solar Eclipse?

Question

The moons shadow will take about 2 minutes to move across a house in Falmouth. It will take less than 2 minutes to move across a house in Padstow. Explain why it will take less time for the moons shadow to move across a house in Padstow than to move across one in Falmouth.

Why does the moons shadow move over the surface if the earth?

Please Help!

xx

Answer 1

well i can tell u that a solar eclipse takes place wen da moon moves directly infront of da suns rays to the earth causing a massive shadow on it.

Answer 2

because the earth rotates..

Answer 3

what size are the houses?

Answer 4

It moves over it, because of two other movements: Earth rotates and the moon revolves around Earth. Because of the second, the line drawn through moon and sun moves during the eclipse.

There are many possible explanations for that to happen.

1. The house in Falmouth is closer to the center of the path of moons shadow.

2. The house in Padstow was at a point where the added velocities of moons shadow and the rotation of Earth is higher.  

Answer 5

It is all to do with the angle at which the eclipse faces us. A difference of a few degrees in the observers position will affect the way they see the eclipse. That also explains why the eclipse is only viewable to certain areas of the world.

Answer 6

I've had to dig out a map of the 1999 total eclipse in England to get a better idea of what you're asking. The map is at http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE1...

Falmouth is exactly on the centre line of the eclipse and saw two minutes of totality. Unfortunately, Padstow isn't shown, but you can check with other maps to see that it is to the north east of Newquay, on the 'one minute duration' line.

The reason for the shorter totality at Padstow is because Padstow is nearer to the edge of the track of totality. The circular shapes on the map show the actual shape and position of the Moon's shadow at five minute intervals. If you can imagine these shapes moving across the page, you can visualise how the shadow would cover Falmouth for longer that it covered Padstow.

A solar eclipse is when the Moon's shadow falls on the Earth. The speed at which the Earth rotates is 1,675 km/hr at the equator and less at other latitudes. Since the Moon is moving at about 3,700 km/hr, its shadow 'overtakes' the Earth's rotation, which is why eclipse shadows move across the earth and travel from west to east.