Resources

Supermoon Eclipse Animation

Name: Supermoon Eclipse Animation
Uploaded: 2021-05-24
Description: Data visualization of a supermoon and lunar eclipse occurring at the same time. The relative sizes of the Earth and Moon are exaggerated by a factor of 15 to make them more easily visible. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio

Published: May 24, 2021

Data visualization of a supermoon and lunar eclipse occurring at the same time. The relative sizes of the Earth and Moon are exaggerated by a factor of 15 to make them more easily visible. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio

Earth and the Moon are locked in an orbital dance, and gravity is the choreographer. Here's how it works.

Tidal Locking

Between four and seven times a year, Earth, Moon and Sun line up just right to create the cosmic-scale shadow show known as an eclipse.

Composite of lunar eclipse phases over night sky

Eclipses

Like Earth, the Moon has a day side and a night side, which change as the Moon rotates.

Moon Phases