Audience
Students
Grade Levels
Grades 5-8
Subject
Space Science, Solar System and Planets, Eclipses, Earth's Moon, Sun
Type
Read About It
An eclipse happens when a planet or a moon gets in the way of the Sun’s light. Here on Earth, we can experience two kinds of eclipses: solar eclipses and lunar eclipses.
What’s the difference between a lunar eclipse and a solar eclipse?
It’s easy to get these two types of eclipses mixed up. An easy way to remember the difference is in the name. The name tells you what gets darker when the eclipse happens. In a solar eclipse, the Sun gets darker. In a lunar eclipse, the Moon gets darker.