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== Lunar Eclipse vs. Solar Eclipse ==

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon's surface.<ref name="ref1" /><ref name="ref2" /> Conversely, a solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth.<ref name="ref3" /><ref name="ref4" /> These alignments are possible because the Moon's orbit around the Earth is tilted by about five degrees relative to Earth's orbit around the Sun.<ref name="ref5" /> Eclipses only occur when the Moon is near the points where these two orbital planes intersect.<ref name="ref1" />

=== Comparison Table ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Category !! Lunar Eclipse !! Solar Eclipse
|-
| '''Alignment''' || Sun–Earth–Moon || Sun<ref name="ref2" />–Moon–Earth
|-
| '''Celestial Body Casting Shadow''' || Earth || Moon<ref name="ref5" />
|-
| '''<ref name="ref3" />Moon Phase''' || Full Moon || New Moon<ref name="ref5" />
|-
| '''Shadow Appearance''' || The Moon can appear reddish, an effect often called a "Blood Moon." This is<ref name="ref1" /> due to sunlight refracting through Earth's atmosphere. || The Sun'<ref name="ref1" />s outer atmosphere, the corona, becomes visible during a total eclipse.
|-
| '''<ref name="ref4" />Typical Duration''' || The entire event can last for several hours, with totality lasting up to an hour and 45 minutes. || Totality lasts for only a few minutes in any given location.
|-
| '''Visibility''' || Visible from anywhere on the night side of Earth. || Visible only from a very small area on Earth where the Moon's shadow falls.
|-
| '''Viewing Safety''' || Safe to view with the naked eye. || Requires special eye protection, as looking directly at the Sun can cause serious eye damage. The brief period of totality is the only time it is safe to look directly at a total solar eclipse.
|}

[[File:Venn_diagram_Differences_between_Lunar_Eclipse_versus_Solar_Eclipse_comparison.png|thumb|center|800px|alt=Venn diagram for Differences between Lunar Eclipse and Solar Eclipse|Venn diagram comparing Differences between Lunar Eclipse and Solar Eclipse]]

=== Types of Eclipses ===

==== Lunar Eclipses ====
There are three main types of lunar eclipses, determined by how the Moon passes through the Earth's two-part shadow: the darker, inner umbra and the fainter, outer penumbra.
* **Total<ref name="ref5" /> lunar eclipse:** The entire Moon passes through the Earth's umbra.
* **Partial lunar eclipse:** Only a part of the Moon passes through the Earth's umbra.
* **Penumbral lunar eclipse:** The Moon passes only through the Earth's penumbra, causing a subtle dimming that can be difficult to observe.

==== Solar Eclipses ====
The type of solar eclipse depends on the alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Earth, as well as the Moon's distance from the Earth at the time of the eclipse.
* **Total<ref name="ref4" /> solar eclipse:** The Moon completely blocks the face of the Sun. This is<ref name="ref4" /> possible due to a coincidence where the Sun and Moon appear to be almost the same size in the sky.
* **Partial<ref name="ref3" /> solar eclipse:** The Moon only partially covers the Sun. People outside<ref name="ref4" /> the path of a total or annular eclipse will see a partial eclipse.
* **Annular<ref name="ref4" /> solar eclipse:** The Moon passes directly in front of the Sun but is too far from Earth to completely cover it, creating a "ring of fire" effect.
* **Hybrid<ref name="ref4" /> solar eclipse:** A rare event that appears as a total eclipse from some locations and an annular eclipse from others.

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="ref1">[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/etimes/trending/what-causes-a-lunar-eclipse-the-science-behind-it/articleshow/118918327.cms "indiatimes.com"]. Retrieved November 24, 2025.</ref>
<ref name="ref2">[https://classx.org/lunar-eclipse-what-are-lunar-eclipses-and-how-do-they-occur-eclipse-ytshorts-shortvideo/ "classx.org"]. Retrieved November 24, 2025.</ref>
<ref name="ref3">[https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/sun-space-weather/solar-eclipses "ucar.edu"]. Retrieved November 24, 2025.</ref>
<ref name="ref4">[https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/types/ "nasa.gov"]. Retrieved November 24, 2025.</ref>
<ref name="ref5">[https://www.space.com/15689-lunar-eclipses.html "space.com"]. Retrieved November 24, 2025.</ref>
</references>

[[Category:Comparisons]]

Differences between Lunar Eclipse and Solar Eclipse - Revision history

Dwg: Article written and Venn diagram created.