Eclipses carried great importance to primitive man and still in some religions it carries a religious significance and the major decisions in the life are predicted on the basis on the occurrence and non occurrence of eclipses. Mel Gibson's movie "Apoclypto" truly reflects the significance which eclipses carried to the primitive societies and their dependence on them.
Solar Eclipses are more common than lunar eclipses, there being at least two solar eclipses every year. There are only 0-3 lunar eclipses per year. At a given location, however, lunar eclipses are more frequent because every lunar eclipse is visible from the entire hemisphere of the earth facing the moon whereas solar eclipses can be seen from only a very limited area.
Solar eclipses can occur only at new moon while lunar eclipses occur only at full moon. But they do not occur every month because the moon's orbit is inclined to be elliptic. Thus seen from the earth, the moon usually passes above or below the sun and similarly, passes above or below the shadow of the earth.
Astronomers can calculate when eclipses occurred in the past. As a result, eclipses are important to historians especially who are checking dates of ancient events.
Solar Eclipses are more common than lunar eclipses, there being at least two solar eclipses every year. There are only 0-3 lunar eclipses per year. At a given location, however, lunar eclipses are more frequent because every lunar eclipse is visible from the entire hemisphere of the earth facing the moon whereas solar eclipses can be seen from only a very limited area.
Solar eclipses can occur only at new moon while lunar eclipses occur only at full moon. But they do not occur every month because the moon's orbit is inclined to be elliptic. Thus seen from the earth, the moon usually passes above or below the sun and similarly, passes above or below the shadow of the earth.
Astronomers can calculate when eclipses occurred in the past. As a result, eclipses are important to historians especially who are checking dates of ancient events.
