What is the difference between a solar and lunar eclipse?

(CNN in Spanish) — Astronomy fans are waiting for one of the events of the year: the solar eclipse on April 8, which will be fully visible across Mexico, Canada and more than 10 states in the United States.

The solar eclipse is one of the most famous eclipses due to its amazing nature, as it turns day into night when it reaches total eclipse.

Given the importance of a solar eclipse, you may wonder what happens with its counterpart, a lunar eclipse. It is also a common astronomical event, but of course there are notable differences between the two.

What are the differences between solar and lunar eclipses?

Solar eclipse in Pucón, Chile, December 14, 2020; and a lunar eclipse in Melbourne, Australia, on November 8, 2022. (Image credit: Darian Traynor/Getty Images and Martin Pernetti/AFP via Getty Images)

In a solar eclipse, the Moon lines up between the Sun and Earth, blocking the side of our star we see and darkening the day (completely or partially, depending on where you are during the eclipse).

In other words, the Sun begins to be obscured because the Moon is aligned on the path between the star and the Earth. As our natural satellite covers the starlight, the environment we perceive becomes darker.

The following illustration of a pot It shows in a basic way what happens in a solar eclipse.

Basic diagram of a solar eclipse. (Credit: NASA)

Meanwhile, in a lunar eclipse, the same three astronomical bodies participate: the Sun, the Earth and the Moon.

However, what is happening here is that the Earth is getting in the way between the other two celestial bodies.

Before a lunar eclipse, the Sun illuminates the observable side of our natural satellite (i.e. the Moon). There is a full moon), and suddenly the Earth crosses the path and casts a shadow (sometimes red) on the moon's illuminated surface.

Here's another illustration a pot Shows what's happening.

Basic diagram of a lunar eclipse. (Credit: NASA)

– With information from Uriel Blanco, from CNN en Español.