Flexi Says: During a solar eclipse, the new Moon passes between Earth and Sun. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon’s shadow completely blocks the Sun. When only a portion of the Sun is out of view, it is called a partial solar eclipse. During a lunar eclipse, the full Moon moves through Earth's shadow. In a lunar eclipse, Earth’s shadow has two distinct parts: the umbra and the penumbra. The umbra is the inner, cone-shaped part of the shadow, in which all of the light has been blocked. The penumbra is the outer part of Earth’s shadow where only part of the light is blocked. In the penumbra, the light is dimmed but not totally absent. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon travels completely in Earth’s umbra. During a partial lunar eclipse, only a portion of the Moon enters Earth’s umbra.
