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How does a solar eclipse occur? |
| During a solar eclipse the
moon moves in front of the sun and covers it for a short time.
The shadow of the new moon falls on earth and within a small stripe on it's surface a total solar eclipse can be seen. |
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Now it seems to be a legitimate
question, why solar eclipses do not occur at each new moon? The orbital
plane of the moon is inclined 5 degrees to the ecliptical plane of earth.
Only at two points, called nodal points, the orbital path of the moon intersects
the orbital path of the earth. Only if the moon is at one of these two points does
its shadow touch the earth and a solar eclipse can occur.
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