What is the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse?
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. Since the Moon and Sun appear to be the same size in the sky, the Moon can completely block the Sun if the relative positions of the Moon and the viewer are just right. Even though any place on Earth is subject to seeing an eclipse at one time or another, the area of the Earth which will perceive any particular eclipse as total is relatively small. The rest of the Earth will either see it as a partial eclipse, or will miss it altogether. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon. Since the Earth’s shadow is larger than the Moon, the Moon can be completely blacked out. Actually, a total lunar eclipse rarely blacks out the Moon completely. Light refracted through the Earth’s atmosphere into the shadow area will usually give it a strange dark red glow. The other difference from a solar eclipse is that every place on Earth that can see the Moon at the time of the eclipse will see more
