What is the difference between an eclipse of the moon and a new moon?

Question by Little Paul: What is the difference between an eclipse of the moon and a new moon?
I don't get it... I thought a new moon was black because the earth was blocking the sun's light from reflecting off the moon. But a couple weeks ago we had an eclipse of the moon, and they said it was because the earth was getting between the moon and the sun. The moon wasn't as black as a new moon. I'm not an astronomer. What's the difference? Thanks!, Paul


Best answer:
Answer by Tom ANew Moon happens when the moon is on the same side of the Earth as the sun. Because the sunlit side is facing away, it can't be seen. We don't see a black circle of the non-sunlit side of the moon because it's on the other side of the atmosphere that gives us our blue sky.

An eclipse of the moon happens when the moon is on the OPPOSITE side of the Earth from the sun, which is when it's Full Moon. It doesn't turn black because the Earth's atmosphere deflects the sunlight, and absorbs the blue wavelengths of the sunlight.

As you'll have noticed, the sun doesn't get blocked every time it's New Moon, nor does the moon go red every time it's Full Moon. That's becasue the moon's orbit around the Earth is "tilted", and therefore the moon is rarely in direct line with the sun and Earth.

The phases of the moon are nothing to do with shadows. Next time you see a crescent moon following the setting sun, you'll notice the moon is on the same side of the sky as the sun (both in the west). So it can't be the Earth blocking the sunlight that causes most of it to be black.

What do you think? Answer below!

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