Eclipses!
Name ____________________________________
Block_________ Date________
Focus Question:​
What causes solar and lunar eclipses?
In this virtual lab you will learn about how the alignment of the moon, sun, and
earth causes both lunar (moon) and solar (sun) eclipses.
*To get to the simulation, ​
go to the following website​
:
SASCurriculumPathways.com
Once you’re there, ​
LOG IN​
at the top of the page
Username: ​
rose53adjective
password:
** Leave the password blank and hit ENTER!
Click ​
SCIENCE​
on the left; then choose ​
Our Universe ​
on the left to narrow the
results
Look at the list now and choose ​
VLAB: ECLIPSES​Click on that to start the
simulation!
Follow the TABS​
at the top and use this sheet to record your answers. Some of the
directions will be found in the simulation so if you are looking for what to do next,
check the site! It’s all there! :-)
TAB 1: Overview
Read the questions below. Then complete this Journal by interacting with the online
Simulation. ​
Please write your answers on this sheet!
**Review your text entries and make sure you've transferred data to the correct
table row(s). In the Simulation (to the right) select an eclipse type. Then click the
Play button to view the video. In this section, you'll find out what an eclipse is by
taking a close look at a total solar eclipse and a total lunar eclipse
1.1 ) Describe what a total solar eclipse looks like. (The eclipse view shows its
appearance from earth.)
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
** The shadow cast by an object has two distinct parts. The darker part, where
light is cut off totally, is called the umbra. Surrounding the umbra is the penumbra,
where light is cut off partially. The shadows of the earth and moon are shown in
the side view of the Simulation.
1.2 )_____ Look at the side view. During a total solar eclipse, what part(s) of the
moon's shadow reach the earth?
a.) penumbra
b.) umbra
c.) both
1.3 ) Describe what a total lunar eclipse looks like from earth.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
1.4 _____ Again, look at the side view. During a total lunar eclipse, what part(s) of
the earth's shadow obscure or eclipse the moon?
a.) penumbra
b.) umbra
c.) both
TAB 2: Lunar Phases
2.1 Data Collection
In this section, you will explore the relationships among lunar phases and eclipses.
In the Simulation (to the right) ​
select a date​
. Then ​
click the Play button​
to view the
video.
**For each date, look at the ​
top-down view​
(only) to see where the moon is
located in relation to the earth. In the table, ​
click to place the moon in its correct
location​
. Then,​
use the pull-down menus​
to indicate the kind of eclipse and lunar
phase.
Eclipses and Lunar Phases
Date
Nov. 13,2012
July 26, 2014
Mar 20,2015
Moon Position
Kind of Eclipse
Lunar Phase
Dec. 10,2011
Apr 15,2014
Mar 9, 2016
2.2) _____ Where is the moon located during a total solar eclipse?
a.) directly between the sun and earth in a straight line
b.) directly between the moon and the sun in a straight line
o​
c.) at a 90​
angle to the earth and sun
2.3) _____ Why can a total solar eclipse only occur during a new moon?
a.) If it was in another position, the sun would not be blocked
b.) The new moon means it is between the earth and the sun
c.) Both A and B
2.4) _____ Where is the moon located during a total lunar eclipse?
a.) directly between the sun and earth in a straight line
b.) opposite both the earth and sun in a straight line
o​
c.) at a 90​
angle to the earth and sun
2.5) _____ Why can a total lunar eclipse only occur during a full moon
a.) If it was in another position, the moon would not be blocked
b.) The full moon means it is opposite the earth and the sun
c.) Both A and B
2.6) Look back at the Eclipses & Lunar Phases table. Is the phase of the moon the
only thing responsible for eclipses? Explain. ___________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
TAB 3: Tilt of Moon's Orbit
The moon's orbit is tilted (5°) with respect to the earth's orbit. (See picture on
screen)
In this section, you will investigate whether or not the tilt of the moon's orbit
affects eclipses.
**In the Simulation (to the right) s
​elect a date​
. Turn the ​
tilt​
of the moon's orbit ​
on
or ​
off​
. Then ​
click the Play ​
button to view the video.
**For the following 5 questions, circle either ​
Yes​
or ​
No​
for your answer.
3.1) ​
Select November 13, 2012.​
Make sure the ​
tilt of the moon's orbit​
is ​
turned ​
on​
.
Click the Play button to view the solar eclipse that occurs on this date.
Look at the top-down view—are the sun, moon, and earth aligned? ​
Yes No
3.2) Now look at the ​
side view.
Do the sun, moon, and earth lie in the same plane?
Yes
​
No
3.3) ​
Select April 15, 2014​
. Make sure the tilt of the moon's orbit is still turned on.
Click the Play button.
Look at the top-down view—are the sun, earth, and moon aligned? ​
Yes
No
3.4) Now look at the ​
side view​
.
Do the sun, earth, and moon lie in the same plane?
Yes
​
No
3.5) With the tilt of the moon's orbit turned on, do eclipses occur on July 26, 2014
and March 9, 2016? ​
Yes
No
As you have observed, even though the moon's orbit is tilted in relation to the
earth's orbit, there are times when the sun, earth, and moon all lie in the same
plane. Suppose it were possible to "turn off" the tilt of the moon's orbit (see Figure
2). Would eclipses be more likely to occur? Continue with your investigation to find
out!
3.6) Now, turn the ​
tilt of the moon's orbit ​
off​
.
_____ What happens on July 26, 2014 and March 9, 2016?
a.) a total lunar eclipse occurs on July 26, 2014 and a total lunar eclipse occurs on
March 9, 2016
b.) a total solar eclipse occurs on July 26, 2014 and a total solar eclipse occurs on
March 9, 2016
c.) a total solar eclipse occurs on July 26, 2014 and a total lunar eclipse occurs on
March 9, 2016
d.) a total lunar eclipse occurs on July 26, 2014 and a total solar eclipse occurs on
March 9, 2016
3.7) _____ What two things must happen in order for an eclipse to occur?
a.) The sun, earth, and moon must be aligned and they must lie in the same plane
b.) The sun, earth, and moon must be aligned and they must lie in different planes
TAB 4: Kinds of Eclipses
In Tabs 1-3, you investigated two kinds of eclipses, total solar eclipses and total
lunar eclipses. During a total solar eclipse, the entire sun is blocked out by the
moon. During a total lunar eclipse, the entire moon passes through the earth's
umbra. There are actually six different kinds of eclipses that can occur—three
kinds of solar eclipses and three kinds of lunar eclipses.
4.1 Data Collection
In this section, you will examine different kinds of solar and lunar eclipses
**In the Simulation (to the right) ​
select a date​
. Then ​
click the Play​
button to view
the video.
**For each date, ​
use the pull-down menus​
to indicate the kind of eclipse, eclipse
geometry, portion(s) of the moon's shadow that reach the earth, and lunar phase.
Solar Eclipses
Date
Eclipse and
Geometry
Shadow Portions
Lunar Phase
Jan 4, 2011
May 20,2012
4.2 D
​escribe the appearance​
of a partial solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse.
Partial solar eclipse:
______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Annular solar eclipse:
_____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4.3 Data Collection
For each date, use the pull-down menus to indicate the kind of eclipse, eclipse
geometry, portion(s) of earth's shadow that eclipse the moon, and lunar phase.
Lunar Phase
Date
Eclipse and
Geometry
Shadow Portions
Lunar Phase
Jun 4, 2012
Oct 18, 2013
4.4 Describe the appearance of a partial lunar eclipse and a penumbral lunar
eclipse.
Partial lunar eclipse: _____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Penumbral lunar eclipse: __________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Tab 5: Analysis
Refer to the Journal, as needed, to answer the following questions.
Tilt of Moon's Orbit
A.1 Approximately 29.5 days elapse between one new moon and the next.
The same number of days elapses between one full moon and the next.
Why don't solar and lunar eclipses occur monthly?
______________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(Continue to last page!)
Kinds of Eclipses
A.2) Review your answers from Tab 1 and the eclipse geometry images from Tab 4.
_____ What determines the different kinds of solar and lunar eclipses?
a.) The kind of solar eclipse that occurs depends on the portion of the earth's
shadow that covers the earth. The kind of lunar eclipse that occurs depends on
the portion of moon's shadow through which the moon is moving.
b.) The kind of solar eclipse that occurs depends on the portion of the moon's
shadow that covers the earth. The kind of lunar eclipse that occurs depends on
the portion of earth's shadow through which the moon is moving.
A.3) Review the eclipse & geometry images in the Solar Eclipses table (Tab 4). Then,
examine the data below.
Do the differences in​
sun-earth​
distance appear significant enough to affect the
kind of solar eclipse that occurs? ​
Yes No
If so, suggest a reason why.
_____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
A.4) Do the differences in ​
earth-moon​
distance appear significant enough to
affect the kind of solar eclipse that occurs? ​
Yes No
If so, suggest a reason why.
____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Solar Eclipses and Distances
Date
Kind of Eclipse
Sun-Earth
Distance (AU)
Earth-Moon
Distance (Km)
July 22,2009
total solar eclipse
1.01364
360.933
July 11, 2010
total solar eclipse
1.01606
368.436
Jan 26,2009
annular solar
eclipse
.098713
397.190
Jan 15,2010
annular solar
eclipse
.98539
400.465