The moon casts a shadow when the Earth blocks sunlight from reaching it. Imagine you're holding up a flashlight, and your friend is standing between you and the wall. Your friend’s body makes a shadow on the wall. That's kind of how it works with the moon. When Earth gets in the way of the sun, part of the moon goes dark.
Examples
- During a full moon, you can see the whole moon glowing bright, but during an eclipse, it looks like someone is eating part of it.
- Imagine your friend standing between you and a light bulb. Your friend’s shadow covers parts of the wall behind them, this is how Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the moon.
- If you're outside on a cloudy night, sometimes the moon doesn’t shine as bright, this is because clouds are blocking part of the sun's light.
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See also
- How Do ‘Eclipses’ Happen and Why Are They So Special?
- How Do ‘Eclipses’ Happen and Why Do They Look So Dramatic?
- What Causes a ‘Solar Eclipse’ and How Is It Seen?
- What Causes a Solar Eclipse Exactly?
- What Causes a Solar Eclipse and Why Does It Happen?
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