What type of eclipse occurs when the Moon covers the Sun?

What type of eclipse occurs when the Moon covers the Sun?

• A. Annular eclipse
• B. Lunar eclipse
• C. Solar eclipse
• D. Partial solar eclipse

Answer: (C)

When the Moon comes between the Sun and Earth and blocks the Sun’s light as seen from Earth, that event is a solar eclipse. The Sun is being obscured by the Moon from our viewpoint, which is exactly what a solar eclipse describes. If the Moon fully covers the Sun, it would be a total solar eclipse; if only part is covered, it’s a partial solar eclipse; and if the Moon is farther away so it doesn’t completely cover the Sun, it can appear as a ring—the annular eclipse. A lunar eclipse, by contrast, happens when Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the Moon.

When the Moon comes between the Sun and Earth and blocks the Sun’s light as seen from Earth, that event is a solar eclipse. The Sun is being obscured by the Moon from our viewpoint, which is exactly what a solar eclipse describes. If the Moon fully covers the Sun, it would be a total solar eclipse; if only part is covered, it’s a partial solar eclipse; and if the Moon is farther away so it doesn’t completely cover the Sun, it can appear as a ring—the annular eclipse. A lunar eclipse, by contrast, happens when Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the Moon.