What is eclipse?

An eclipse is when one object blocks the light from another object, right in front of us.

Imagine you're sitting at a table with your favorite snack, let's say chocolate chips. Your friend is holding a flashlight (that’s like the sun), shining light on your snack. Now, if your friend moves in between the flashlight and your snack, it blocks the light, and your snack gets dark for a moment. That’s like an eclipse!

There are two kinds of eclipses:

• A solar eclipse happens when the moon moves between the Earth and the sun. The moon blocks the sun's light, making it look like part or all of the sun disappears.
• A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth moves between the sun and the moon. The Earth blocks the sunlight that usually shines on the moon, making the moon look red or dark, just like when you put your hand between a lamp and a wall.

It’s like playing with shadows, big ones!