During a solar eclipse, which order of Sun, Moon, and Earth is aligned?

During a solar eclipse, which order of Sun, Moon, and Earth is aligned?

• A. Sun-Earth-Moon
• B. Earth-Sun-Moon
• C. Sun-Moon-Earth
• D. Moon-Sun-Earth

Answer: (C)

For a solar eclipse the Moon must lie directly between the Sun and the Earth, so the alignment is Sun, Moon, Earth. When the Moon sits on the line between the Sun and Earth, it can block some of the Sun’s light and cast its shadow onto the Earth, producing the eclipse for observers in the shadow path. This typically happens near the new moon phase when the Moon is near the Sun in the sky. If the Earth were between the Sun and the Moon, or if the Sun were between the Earth and the Moon, the Moon wouldn’t block sunlight reaching Earth, so no solar eclipse would occur (that setup would produce a lunar eclipse instead or no eclipse at all).

For a solar eclipse the Moon must lie directly between the Sun and the Earth, so the alignment is Sun, Moon, Earth. When the Moon sits on the line between the Sun and Earth, it can block some of the Sun’s light and cast its shadow onto the Earth, producing the eclipse for observers in the shadow path. This typically happens near the new moon phase when the Moon is near the Sun in the sky. If the Earth were between the Sun and the Moon, or if the Sun were between the Earth and the Moon, the Moon wouldn’t block sunlight reaching Earth, so no solar eclipse would occur (that setup would produce a lunar eclipse instead or no eclipse at all).