Until then, the darkening will be barely noticeable. The last total lunar eclipse visible from our area took place on Sept. 26, 1996. Eclipses takes place when the sun, moon, and Earth are in a straight line with respect to each other and the light from one body is blocked from view. Straight lines and shadows - that s about the only thing that lunar and solar eclipses have in common. Solar eclipses are showy, glittering, adrenaline-pumping experiences.
Lunar eclipses are sedate and quite, an interplay of subtle shadow and muted colors.
Solar eclipses take place in the daytime and last for a matter of minutes. Lunar eclipses take place at night and take more than an hour to complete. The orbit, like a hula- hoop spinning around your hips, doesn t stay perfectly flat. Sometimes it s tilted up and sometimes it s tilted down, and the dots of the Earth, moon, and sun can t be connected in a straight line. Eclipse shadows, whether created by the moon or Earth, are always composed of two cone-shaped parts, one inside the other.