Comments on: Why isn’t there a lunar eclipse every month?

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 20:53:01 +0000

No, that is not the reason. You are wrong. Consider reading the post.

By: yourong

yourong — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 20:39:00 +0000

you ask why elipses dont happen twice a month. simple answer every thing in space is moving forwards

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 02:34:21 +0000

It is a mere wiggly ellipse. The moon always goes in the same direction around the sun (never backwards). As does the earth. Both of them have a wiggly path because of each other, but they are both just going around the sun.

By: wfr

wfr — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 02:22:05 +0000

So what is the path of the moon around the sun? Epicycloid? Hypercycloid? What?

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 18:31:36 +0000

That’s a great answer because it is wrong TWICE! Technically, there is not a “full moon” during total eclipse months.

By: Dan Milton

Dan Milton — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 17:28:17 +0000

I once helped a junior college instructor grade an exam that asked that question. My favorite answer, “A lunar eclipse can only occur during a full moon and there might not be a full moon that month”.