Whats the cause of a lunar eclipse?

Question

Whats the cause of a lunar eclipse?

Answer 1

What Causes an Eclipse?

An eclipse occurs at those times when the Moon moves into a position of direct alignment with the Sun and the Earth. There are two basic types of eclipses – lunar and solar. Most people have seen at least one total lunar eclipse, when the full Moon passes through the shadow of the Earth. In this case, the Sun and the Moon are on opposite sides of the Earth. If you observe a lunar eclipse (visible only at night at the time of certain full Moons), you’ll see the bright lunar disk turn dark -- sometimes a coppery red color -- for as long as an hour or more.

But the gentle beauty of a lunar eclipse pales in comparison with the truly awesome spectacle of a total solar eclipse, which occurs when the new Moon passes directly between the Sun and the Earth. In the narrow path of totality swept across the Earth by the Moon’s complete shadow (the umbra), daytime briefly turns to an eerie darkness, and during these few precious minutes the wispy halo of the Sun – the corona –comes into view as the dark disk of the Moon totally obscures the bright Sun. Outside the path of totality, in the Moon’s partial shadow (the penumbra), some portion of the Sun’s bright disk remains visible.

Answer 2

An eclipse of the Moon (or lunar eclipse) can only occur at Full Moon, and only if the Moon passes through some portion of Earth's shadow. That shadow is actually composed of two cone-shaped components, one nested inside the other. The outer or penumbral shadow is a zone where the Earth blocks part but not all of the Sun's rays from reaching the Moon. In contrast, the inner or umbral shadow is a region where the Earth blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the Moon

Answer 3

The moon glows due to light from the sun reflected off its surface.  An eclipse occurs when the Earth blocks the light from the sun, so the moon has nothing to reflect.

Answer 4

lunar eclipse can only occur at Full Moon, and only if the Moon passes through the Earth's shadow. The outer  shadow is a zone where the Earth blocks part but not all of the Sun's rays from reaching the Moon. In contrast, the umbra  shadow is a region where the Earth blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the Moon

Answer 5

The moon passes into the earth's shadow, thus preventing it from reflecting the sun's light back