There are two categories of eclipses: lunar and solar. Depending on what type of eclipse you are experiencing, you will see different things in the sky. Both types of eclipses are occurrences where we on Earth experience syzygy, or an alignment of the Sun, Earth, and the Moon during either the Full Moon or New Moon phases.

Lunar eclipses occur over a wider range on the Earth's surface and happen more frequently than a solar eclipse. Solar eclipses, especially total solar eclipses, are not as frequent, and fewer people on Earth are able to experience a solar eclipse when it happens compared to a lunar eclipse. They often do not strike the same exact location on Earth for an average of over 300 years! Many solar eclipses that occur yearly on Earth transpire over the open ocean such as the Pacific Ocean. All of these factors are why a total solar eclipse in Indiana is such a big deal! It's truly a once in a lifetime event. 

To fully understand eclipses, some terminology must first be learned. 

An umbra is the true shadow of the Earth or the Moon, and a penumbra is the lighter outer part of that shadow.

The reason is simple. The Moon has a 5 degree tilt in its orbit or revolution around Earth. Because of this tilt, the Moon doesn't totally align up with the Earth and Sun every New and Full Moons.

The Moon also has an elliptical orbit meaning that it is not quite circular and slightly oval in shape. This causes the Moon to have periods when it is closer (perigee) and further away (apogee) from the Earth.

In a nutshell, a lunar eclipse is when the Moon passes into the shadow of the Earth, causing the reflection of the Sun to be blocked from the moon. During a lunar eclipse, the Moon will appear darker in color than normal. Lunar eclipses only happen during a Full Moon.

The image of the Moon shows a lunar eclipse. The Moon appears red due to the way the Sun's rays are bent or refracted through the Earth's atmosphere. 

The Sun is considered to be a yellow dwarf star, undergoing nuclear fusion reactions of mostly hydrogen gas. This reaction is where two atoms of hydrogen gas combine or fuse together, creating helium and huge amounts of heat and light energy. This light energy generated takes 8.5 minutes to travel from the Sun to the Earth. Even with a velocity of 3.00 x 108 m/s, the speed of light (that's the c in Einstein's famous equation E=mc2) still takes that much time to travel the 93 million miles from the Sun to the Earth.

The Sun isn't just a hot ball of gas; it also has several components to its structure! The photosphere, corona, chromosphere, sunspots, spicules, and prominences are some of the structures of the Sun. 

Sunspots are cooler spots on the Sun's surface. This can create solar storms which can cause aurora borealis, satellite and radio disruptions, and other communication issues. They have an 11 year cycle, and they are expected to peak in numbers in 2024 and into 2025. So don't throw away your solar viewing glasses after the eclipse! They are a great tool to view sunspots during their maximum years. 

The path of totality is where you want to be during a total solar eclipse! This is where the shadow or umbra of the Moon is cast upon the Earth. It is also where you can see the corona of the Sun during the totality event! Find where you need to go by looking at the maps section of this website.