Question

The student will describe the conditions necessary for a solar eclipse to occur

Answer 1

Solar Eclipse :

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes between the Sun and the observer. This happens when the shadow cone of the Moon intersects the surface of the Earth, and is observable by anyone within this shadow zone.

Two conditions have to be met for a solar eclipse to occur.

1) The first concerns the relationship between the orbits of Earth and the Moon, which are not in the same plane, but are inclined at around 5 degrees (5 degrees 8' 43") to each other. The Moon crosses the plane of Earth's orbit twice in each complete orbit. For an eclipse to occur the Moon must be near one of these intersection points.

2) The second condition is that the Sun, Earth and the Moon must also be lined up, corresponding to the phase of the New Moon.