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Total solar eclipse geometry
Total solar eclipse geometry, artwork. Solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes across the Sun as seen from the Earth. The Moon's shadow consists of a dark central umbra surrounded by the lighter penumbra. A total eclipse is seen from within the umbra, around a hundred kilometres across, and can last for several minutes. From the area covered by the penumbra, a few thousand kilometres across, a partial eclipse is visible. A solar eclipse occurs only at New Moon. It does not occur every month, but only 2-5 times a year when the Earth and Moon are correctly aligned. Because the Moon's distance from the Earth also varies, the frequency of total solar eclipses can be less than one a year.
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