How Does a Solar Eclipse Affect Earth's Tides?

Imagine the moon is like a giant magnet pulling on Earth’s oceans. Normally, it pulls them up to make high tides. During a solar eclipse, the sun and moon line up closely, so their pulls work together, making the tides even higher than usual. Sometimes, the tides can get lower too, depending on how close or far away the moon is.

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Examples

When you're on the beach during an eclipse, the ocean might seem to rise more than usual, like when two friends help lift something together.
Imagine the moon and sun teaming up to pull harder on Earth’s oceans, making the tides go higher than normal.
If you’re near a large body of water during a solar eclipse, you might notice the tide coming in faster or going out farther.

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Categories: Physics · solar eclipse· tides· gravitational forces