Astronomy
Solar and Lunar Eclipses: Alignment of Earth, Moon, and Sun
Quick fact
A solar eclipse can only occur during a new moon, and a lunar eclipse only during a full moon. Yet they don't happen every month because the Moon's orbit is tilted about 5 degrees relative to Earth's orbit around the Sun.
Why this is interesting
Have you ever seen the sky darken in the middle of the day? That's a solar eclipse—a cosmic alignment that turns day into twilight for a few minutes.