You can witness the eclipses multiple times a year; it may be either solar or lunar eclipse, but no matter which type you watch, they have things in common. Though both of the phenomenon have common things, but they are slightly different in many aspects.
However, the article will let you know about the differences and focus on those in details; the things will be clearer to you why they are different despite being eclipses. Let’s not waste time and find out the core differences between them.
What Factors Make the Eclipses Different from Each Other?
You may think during a solar or lunar eclipse both get the sun and the moon over-shadowed for a while, and that restrains the light from coming, besides making the surface dark. You should solve your query about how both of them can be different.
The factors which differentiate the solar and lunar eclipse are:
Occurrence and Time
As the sun gets shadowed during a solar eclipse, that means it occurs and seen during the day light before the sunset. If the eclipse is happening in your area during the night, you will surely miss the opportunity to watch that.
On the other hand, the lunar eclipse can only be seen when it’s night, and of course a full-moon night. An eclipse can’t take place if it’s not full-moon, but it is not necessary that every month eclipse will conduct during a full-moon.
Process of Eclipse
Let’s see what creates the solar and lunar eclipse; the common thing between both is the sun, earth, and moon has to be on a line to create the situation. But a solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes between the earth and sun. The moon partially shadows the sun, and it’s a rare thing when the moon completely covers the sun.
On the other hand, the lunar eclipse may not require the exact linear position of all these three, and here, the earth comes in between. The process is the full moon is shaded by the earth’s shadow, and as the earth is much bigger than the moon, it doesn’t require to be in a line to cover.
Total Time
Well, if you observe the timings during the whole process of past eclipse, you will see that lunar eclipses are tend to be longer than solar ones. Most of the solar eclipses can last for 1-2 hours unless it’s a total.
On the other hand, most of the lunar eclipses last for nearly 4 hours, and sometimes, you may see them last for the whole night from the evening. Anyway, you will be able to enjoy most of the lunar eclipses even if it’s not a holiday because your working hours will be over already.
Unfortunately, people mostly miss this due to clouds on the sky, and the shadow on the moon during eclipse exactly looks like cloud covering the moon.
Visual Safety
The vital difference between a solar and a lunar eclipse is you are not allowed to watch the first thing bare eyes, but watch the latter naked eyes. But do you know why it is so? The reason is sub is a big star that has its own light; the ultra violet and highly reactive rays become more harmful for eyes during a solar eclipse. Also taking pictures of the eclipse is not the safe if you don’t protect the eyes.
Thus, the sun affects the retinas of your eyes if you ever watch the eclipse without wearing black glasses. On the other hand, moon has no light and it lights up with the help of the sun; as a result, it has no reactive rays that can harm your eyes.
So, you can watch a lunar eclipse without wearing a glass, and worrying about your eyesight.
Change in Gravity
Both of these incidents have some impacts on gravity, but solar eclipse has the less impact that we can’t even feel that. But we can see a clear example of gravity change during a lunar eclipse; that is the sea water level rises on both side of the earth.
This is because of the sun and moon attracts the water like magnets that leads the level to rise.
Final Verdict
Now that you know about both incidents’ details and their differences, you will never have any confusion because of a clear conception. These are natural things and we people don’t have a control over them.
Check the calendar on the internet now so that you can enjoy the recent, upcoming solar or lunar eclipse with preparation.