Eclipse of the moon

[Dudley]

What is the difference between an eclipse of the moon and a new moon. Is that not an eclipse or am I being thick?

[Dudley]

Sorry Guys, I've got it now. The new moon is when the sun is illuminating the moon from a different angle from us and we can only see a part of it.

[JoolsTwo]

There are loads of people watching it. Posts on Q&P - A&N and in Seasonal.

[mibn2cweus]

A Lunar Eclipse refers to the Moon falling within the shadow of the Earth when the Earth is directly between the Sun and Moon. This alignment coincides with a Full Moon.

A Solar Eclipse happens when the Moon comes between the Earth and Sun and the Moon castes it shadow on a small area of the Earth. This alignment takes place only in conjunction with a New Moon when the Illuminated side of the Moon is turned completely away from the Earth.

Because the Earth is much larger than the Moon, the Earth's shadow can completely cover the Moon during a Lunar Eclipse, so that only the Sun's light refracted by the Earth's atmosphere illuminates the Moon, whereas, with a Solar Eclipse the Moon can only project a small shadow on the Earth under ideal circumstances.

Not all Full or New Moons produce an eclipse since the Earth and Moon usually pass above or below the others shadow.

[Loosehead]

For info a New moon is the opposite of a full moon. It can only occur when the moon is between the sun and the Earth, no reflected light is visible. If you could see it a new moon will always be on the daylight side in front of the sun but not necessarily causing an eclipse because of the varying plane of the orbit. An eclipse of the sun can only happen on a new moon. You cannot usually see a new moon unless it just happens to be an eclipse to and only then you seen it as black because of the brightness of the sun.