Eclipses

Eclipse: The total or partial obstruction from view of one celestial body concealed by another body, or its shadow. Solar and lunar eclipses are the visible result of the Moon and Sun being in alignment with the Earth. An eclipse of the sun occurs when the Sun's light is partially or totally cut off by the Moon passing in front of it at the new moon.

The eclipse at the full Moon is the Earth's shadow passing over the Moon. These eclipses occur only when a new or full moon is within 15 degrees of the lunar nodes. Eclipses tend to happen in twos and threes, and can be predicted from the metonic cycle. Since ancient times great attention has been given to the eclipses and there is much symbolism associated with the event..

There are three kinds of Moon-Sun (Lunar-Solar) eclipses.

	Partial eclipse where the Moon is conjoin the Sun, but the moon's orbit does not take it directly across the center of the sun.
	Annular eclipse where the Moon is conjoin the Sun, but is at the far point in its orbit around the Earth. Because the moon is at its farthest point, its image is too small to cover completely the sun's disk shape. Thus the ring of sunlight is visible around the edges of the Moon.
	Total eclipse where the Moon is conjoin the Sun and at a close enough point in its orbit around the Earth. In this eclipse, the Moon's image is large enough to totally block out all sunlight from the Sun.
	The following are things that are constant about eclipses:

        The only time a lunar eclipse occurs is during a full moon (Moon opposes Sun)
         The only time a solar eclipse occurs is during a new Moon (Moon conjucts Sun)
         Solar eclipses occur at least twice a year, but never more than five times in one year.
         There can at most be four lunar eclipses in a year.
         The most both solar and lunar eclipses can happen within one year is seven times.
         Solar and lunar eclipses occur in pairs within 14 days of each other.
         Total solar eclipses can last for as long as 7 minutes and 40 seconds.
         Annular eclipses can last up to 12 minutes and 24 seconds.
         Lunar eclipses can last up to 3 hours and 40 minutes, with the period of totality lasting as long
         as 1 hour and 40 minutes.
          The Saros Cycle repeats every 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours. (The oldest records
         describing Saros or Saros cycle were by Chaldean astrologers around 2,100 BC. Every
         18 years 11 days and 8 hours(18.03 years, or 223 lunar months), the Sun/Moon
         eclipses occur in the same point in the sky. When an eclipse happens on the winter
         solstice it will be 18.03 years before it occurs again. The ancient Chaldeans call this
         period saros and believed it had magical powers that could cause changes in the world.

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