why do we not observe solar and lunar eclipse every month?
109428
ummm ... why should we??
350565
Lunar: the earth gets between the sun and the moon and so it projects its shadow on the moon and it dissapears for a moment.\nSolar: The moo gets between the earth and the sun and you stop seeing the sun or a part of it during some moments, a complete solar eclipse you still see a ring of sun around the moon due to size difference. This doesn't happen on the lunar one as the projected shadow of the earth is much bigger than the moon (and the earth itself) so the moon can disappear for several minutes...
47586
A is correct, the moon muct be full, meaning the earth is between the sun and moon.\n\nThe other condition necessary is that the moon must be on the ecliptic.  The orbital path of the moon is tilted five degrees from the ecliptic, which is the plane that holds the orbit of the earth about the sun.  If the moon is above or beow the ecliptic, then the earth's shadow will miss it.  In the summer and the winter, there are two times when the moon crosses this ecliptic.  If there's a full moon in that time, then ther's a good clance of a lunar eclipse.  If there's a new moon in that time, there's a good chance of a solar eclipse.
771507
Some says that Solar Eclipse affects on such but those are only rumors and superstition without scientific basis. All i can say is Solar eclipse is just a phenomenon that takes place when the moon blocks the sun...
504332
For the most part, it depends on where you are in comparison to the eclipse.  Also, the alignment of the the sun, moon, and earth need to be within a certain amount to create a partial eclipse or a total eclipse.  This is what I've read...I still might be wrong.
1128555
The total lunar eclipse does occur more often, simply because it's caused by the shadow of the Earth falling on the Moon and the Earth is larger than the Moon.\n\nBut total lunar eclipses are visible from the entire side of the Earth that happens to be facing the Moon; whereas total solar eclipses are only visible from the narrow path on Earth's surface where the Moon and Sun line up exactly. That's the real reason why total solar eclipses are so seldom seen.
1142453
Well it's a natural phenomenon. If moon is not rotating then some thing else any where else in our solar system will do something to compensate for this energy.\n\nRemember : Energy can neither be created nor be destoyed and according to the energy conservation principle this energy will have to be redirected . So it can be millions of other possibilities :)\n\nLike days will be shorter ans earth rotates fast to use that excess energy or something like that.\n\n:)
272545
Lunar eclipses occur at full moon, when the moon passes into the earth's shadow.  This does not occur at every full moon because the moon's orbit is inclined 5 degrees to the orbit of the earth around the sun, so the alignment must have the moon crossing through the earth's orbital plane at full moon.\n\nWhat we see depends on what part of the earth's shadow the moon passes into.  The shadow consists of two areas, the umbra and the penumbra.  The penumbra is a much lighter shadow, and lunar eclipses that occur when the moon only passes into it are difficult to see.  The portion of the moon that dims does so only a little.  When the moon passes into the umbra, the effect is more easily visible.  If the moon only goes part way into the umbra, the area in that portion of the shadow will become noticeably darker.  If the moon passes entirely into the umbra, that is a total lunar eclipse.  The moon will get much darker and will turn a rust color.  This reddish color is due to light that gets through the earth's atmosphere and back to the moon.  If you think about the color  of sunset and sunrise, it is primarily red.  It is this red light around the rim of the earth (as you would see the unlit side of the earth from the moon during a full moon) that illuminates the moon during a total lunar eclipse and makes it appear dark red.
536496
When the light from the sun hits the moon, it is reflected to us which causes "Moonlight". This is the same light and source that allows us to see a bit of the shadows on the moon. \n\nThe suns and moons position in relation to one another is also what gives us the phases of the moon.  When the moon is directly opposite of the sun (with Earth not being directly in the line of sight) this gives us our full moon. \n\nIn short, there is only one type of light on the moon, the suns light hitting the moons surface.
194814
Solar eclipses are great times to study the planet Mercury, because usually there is a large amount of interfering  scattered light near Mercury, but during eclipses there is a much cleaner viewing environment.  The corona of the sun is also examined during this time, as well and the bending of light from stars that are almost behind the sun, which would normally be unable to visualize because of the glaring sunlight.
287749
SOLAR Eclipse Is When The MOON Is Directly Between The EARTH And SUN (Blocking The Suns Rays From The Earth)
1028841
The full moon did appear very big this month, but that is because of its location relative to the horizon.  The full moon was at its lowest zenith of the year.  Yes, it's technically an optical illusion, but that technicality doesn't make the view any less impressive.\n\nJust as the Sun passes over more Northern latitudes (at least up to the Tropic of Capricorn) in the summer and more Southern latitudes in the winter (to the Tropic of Cancer), the Moon also varies in its elevation.  Except the Moon passes over more Southern latitudes in the summer and more Northern latitudes in the winter.
214288
First, you must picture in your mind the 3 celestial bodies: sun, earth and moon. Picture the moon circling the earth: now it is between the earth and the sun, now it is at the other side of the earth, now it comes back again between earth and sun... As you know it takes about 4 weeks for the moon to make an entire circle around the earth.\nWhat happens when the moon is between us and the sun? well, it receives light from the sun on the face that is turned that way, so  we can't see it at the moment. That's why we can't see the new moon! It's there is the sky, but not lighted in the side facing us!\nThen 2 weeks later the moon is on the opposite side. The face that is facing the sun - and reflecting all that sunlight - is also facing the earth! So we see it fully - full moon.\nBut the path of the moon is not entirely on the same plane as us and the sun, there is a slight angle!!  Only sometimes it happens that the shadow of the earth catches the moon when it's full (and when it is perfectly aligned with the earth and the sun). THAT's your eclipse!!
909859
We have the ability now to measure the orbit of the Earth, and all other planets, to very high precision, and it is not getting closer to the Sun.\n\nYou can do a very rough measurement yourself. If the Earth gets closer to the Sun, the Sun will appear bigger in the sky. Measure it in photographs taken by the same telescope a year apart. \n\nAnother consideration is this. Currently, the Moon and Sun appear the same size in the sky, which produces spectacular total eclipses of the Sun. If the Earth got just a little closer to the Sun, the Moon would no longer be able to completely cover the Sun. So if total solar eclipses continue as usual, that is evidence the Earth is not getting any nearer to the Sun.
36871
Lunar: Total Eclipse, March 3, 2007, 6:21 PM\nSolar: No real eclipses visible until May 20, 2012
355451
the moon is always there, but it is probably a new moon, a phase of the moon where the sun doesn't shine light on it at the popsition that we can see it. The other stages include combinations of waning, waxing & gibbious and cresent
603218
Well to start, they are very different things. \n\nA solar eclipse is then the moon blocks the light of the sun. This happens in a narrow band across the daylight side of the earth. And because the earth tilts on its axis, and the distance to the moon varies, the area that is eclipsed varies with each eclipse. Now because of the distance to the moon, the earth "just" passes into the shadow cast by the moon. So the actual area which gets a full eclipse is quite small, And sometimes there is not even a full eclipse.\n\nA lunar eclipse is when the moon moves into the shadow of the earth. Thus pretty much anywhere on the night side of the earth can see the lunar eclipse, as the moon is visible from all over the earth.\n\nThere are a ton of sites on the internet that can help you understand this. check them out, or start here\n\nhttp://www.astro.umd.edu/education/astro/moon/eclipses.html\n\nhttp://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html