What Causes a Solar Eclipse?

The sun sometimes disappears because the moon moves in front of it. Think of it like a giant shadow blocking the light from the sun, just like when you cover a flashlight with your hand and the light goes away.

What Happens During an Eclipse?

When the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun, it blocks all or part of the sun’s light. If it blocks the whole sun, we see a total solar eclipse. If only part is blocked, we get a partial solar eclipse.

Why Does This Happen Only Sometimes?

The moon orbits the Earth every month, but most of the time it doesn’t line up perfectly with the sun and Earth, so we don’t get an eclipse every month.

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Examples

A solar eclipse is like when your friend holds up a paper between you and the flashlight, suddenly the light disappears or gets smaller.
Imagine looking at the sun from Earth and seeing the moon move in front of it, like a giant shadow covering part of the sky.
During an eclipse, it's like night comes early, even though it’s still daytime.

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Categories: Space · solar eclipse,moon,earth,astronomy