What is a partial lunar eclipse?

Question

I know its something to do with the earth and moon?

Sensible answers please :)

Answer 1

When the moon goes into the full shadow of the Earth, it's a total lunar eclipse.  Sometimes, the moon only goes through *part* of the Earth's shadow, the effect being, part of the moon is still lit by the sun - this is a partial lunar eclipse.  

Answer 2

A lunar eclipse occurs whenever the Moon passes through some portion of the Earth's shadow. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle. Hence, there is always a full moon the night of a lunar eclipse. The type and length of an eclipse depend upon the Moon's location relative to its orbital nodes.

The most recent lunar eclipse was total, and occurred on February 21, 2008. The next eclipse—a partial one—occurs on August 16, 2008. The next total lunar eclipse occurs on December 21, 2010.

Answer 3

The Earth creates a shadow, by the light of the Sun, onto the moon, but partially =D

Answer 4

It is when the earth casts a partial shadow of itself on the moon.  The moon often appears reddish in color because of the light shining through our atmosphere on to the moon's surface.

Answer 5

The reason it is a partial eclipse is because the earth only blocks out some of the light from the sun, it doesn't get right in the way. A total lunar eclipse is when it blocks out all the light.

Answer 6

In a solar eclipse, the Moon comes between the Sun and the Earth, casting a shadow. In a partial solar eclipse, the Moon's alignment isn't good enough, and part of the Sun is still showing (or only part of the Sun is obscured).

In a lunar eclipse, the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon.  A partial lunar eclipse happens when the alignment isn't good enough to cover the Moon.

The Moon's orbit is inclined about 5 degrees.  The apparent angular size of the Sun and the Moon (they're about the same) is about half a degree.  So you don't get two eclipses a month.  It's only when the alignment is pretty good.

Answer 7

... "partial" means "a part of".

So a partial eclipse is a part of an eclipse, i.e. not a full eclipse.

Answer 8

The shadow just doesn't cover the whole moon, that's all the "partial" means. It maybe that in your area that's all you'll see.

Answer 9

A LUNAR ECLIPSE is when the earth's shadow covers the moon.

A Partial Lunar Eclipse is when the shadow only covers part of the moon.

Answer 10

Hi Sarah!

There are three types of lunar eclipses: total, partial and penumbral.

You know what a total eclipse of the moon is.

To understand the other two, think of what hypothetical moon people would see.  

What we call a partial eclipse happens when moon people in some, but not all parts, of the moon see a total eclipse of the sun.  Since we on earth can view the entire face of the moon at once, we can see the places where the "moon people" are seeing a total eclipse, and also the places on the moon where the eclipse is not, to them, total.  

To visualize the other kind, a penumbral eclipse of the moon, think of the situation where no place on the moon is seeing a total eclipse, but some are seeing a partial eclipse of the sun.  In a partial solar eclipse, some but not all of the usual sunlight is reaching the surface.  We on earth may notice a slight graying of the lunar surface, especially if a lot of the sun's light is being blocked.  Since it takes only a little direct sunlight to illuminate the surface, however, we see no part of the moon in darkness.  To us watching from earth, it's not a partial eclipse, but a penumbral eclipse.

Answer 11

when the earth comes between the sun and the moon only partially so you can see the partial shadow of the earth on the moon which is supposed to make it black, but doesn't since the earth's shadow is pretty flooded out by the strength of the sun's rays, so it looks brown or red, especially if it's a partial eclipse.  

Answer 12

It is when the shadow of the earth does not completely occult the moon - there is one this month, actually!

Answer 13

it is when the earth gets between the sun and the moon and so you get a shadow of the earth on the moon causing a partial eclipse!

Answer 14

a partial lunar eclipse is when only a portion of the Moon passes through Earth's umbral  shadow.

These events are easy to see, even with the unaided eye.

  

Answer 15

We get our light by the sun shining directly onto the earth's surface.The moon moves inbeween the sun and earth.When the moon gets in the way of the sun's light that is a full or partial eclipse.