Lunar eclipses occur when the Moon is in which phase?

Lunar eclipses occur when the Moon is in which phase?

• A. New Moon
• B. First Quarter
• C. Full Moon
• D. Last Quarter

Answer: (C)

A lunar eclipse happens when Earth sits directly between the Sun and the Moon, so Earth’s shadow falls on the Moon. That intended alignment occurs when the Moon is opposite the Sun in the sky, which is the Full Moon phase. The Moon’s orbit is tilted about 5 degrees to the Sun–Earth line, so eclipses don’t happen at every Full Moon—only when the Moon is near one of the orbital nodes at full phase. If the alignment is exact, you can see a total, partial, or penumbral eclipse depending on how deeply the Moon passes through Earth’s shadow.

A lunar eclipse happens when Earth sits directly between the Sun and the Moon, so Earth’s shadow falls on the Moon. That intended alignment occurs when the Moon is opposite the Sun in the sky, which is the Full Moon phase. The Moon’s orbit is tilted about 5 degrees to the Sun–Earth line, so eclipses don’t happen at every Full Moon—only when the Moon is near one of the orbital nodes at full phase. If the alignment is exact, you can see a total, partial, or penumbral eclipse depending on how deeply the Moon passes through Earth’s shadow.