What is the difference between a lunar eclipse and a new moon?
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes into Earth’s shadow. Lunar eclipses only occur at the full moon. However, the Moon’s orbit is somewhat inclined with respect to the plane of Earth’s orbit. This means that the Moon does not always go directly behind the Earth when it is at the full phase. Usually it is slightly above or below the Earth as it reaches this phase. Because of this, the Moon does not usually pass into Earth’s shadow when it is full. Thus, eclipses are rather rare.
