Exam 3: Moon Phases and Eclipses

If eclipses occur in repeatable patterns, then explain why an eclipse is not visible from the same place on Earth after one Saros cycle.

Predicting an eclipse is easy because all you have to do is keep track of where the Moon crosses the ecliptic.

The sidereal period is _______________ days long, the time it takes the Moon to circle the sky once and return to the same position relative to the stars.

A(n) _______________ can occur only at a full Moon if the Moon's path carries it through the shadow of Earth.

If the Moon crosses Earth's shadow at the center of the umbra, how long will the entire eclipse last from start to finish?

A lunar eclipse can only occur when the Moon is ____

What does a waning crescent moon mean?

During a total solar eclipse, what part of the Sun is often visible that we normally cannot see?

The safest and simplest way to observe the partial phases of a solar eclipse is to use _______________  projection .

The ____ of the Moon and Sun vary slightly because the orbits of the Moon and Earth are slightly elliptical.

To see a solar eclipse, you have to be in Earth's shadow.

The angular diameters of the Moon and Sun vary slightly because the orbits of the Moon and Earth are slightly elliptical.

What is the length of time half of the Moon stays in sunlight per full rotation?