Solar and lunar eclipses

Grade 6 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   B. April full moon: yes. C. June full moon: no. D. October new moon: yes. Esme studies the example table of four Moon dates. Which date could have a lunar eclipse?

   • A: the February new moon
   • C: the June full moon
   • B: the April full moon
   • D: the October new moon

2. Read this first

   Side view, not to scale

   The Moon's tilted orbit crossing the plane of Earth's orbit at two points, on opposite sides; the April line-up is marked at one crossing.

3. 2.

   A lunar eclipse happens at an April full moon. About when does Kira expect the Moon to line up with the Sun and Earth again?

   • About 6 months later, at the other crossing
   • Exactly 12 months later, on the same date
   • Next month, at the very next full moon
   • Next month, since a full moon's dark edge is Earth's shadow
4. 3.

   Side view, not to scale; with the shadow not yet drawn. Luz's friend says a solar eclipse happens when Earth's shadow falls on the Sun. Which response is best?

   • Disagree: the Moon's shadow falls on Earth
   • Agree: and it happens at each new moon
   • Agree: Earth's shadow darkens the Sun
   • Disagree: it happens at full moon, when the Moon is bright
5. 4.

   Milo's cousin says a lunar eclipse is just the Moon's new moon phase. Which response is best?

   • Disagree: it happens at full moon, in Earth's shadow
   • Agree: the new moon is Earth's shadow on the Moon
   • Disagree: it is seen from just a narrow path
   • Agree: the Moon's shadow covers the Moon then
6. 5.

   “not to scale” A post claims that everyone on Earth's daytime side sees each total solar eclipse. Noah checks it. Which response is best?

   • Agree: the Moon's shadow covers the whole day side
   • Agree: Earth's shadow covers the whole Sun
   • Disagree: totality is seen only along a narrow path
   • Disagree: the Moon is as big as the Sun, so the path is wide
7. 6.

   Sun diameter about 1,391,400 km; Moon diameter about 3,475 km. Pia reads the NASA size table. About how many times wider is the Sun than the Moon?

   • About the same width
   • About 400 times wider
   • About 40 times wider
   • About 4 times wider

8. Sizes and distances (NASA)

   Body	Diameter and Distance from Earth
   Sun diameter about 1,391,400 km	distance from Earth about 149,600,000 km
   Moon diameter about 3,475 km	distance from Earth about 384,400 km

9. 7.

   The Sun is about 400 times wider than the Moon and about 389 times farther from Earth. What does Ren explain with these two numbers?

   • Why the Moon is really as big as the Sun
   • Why they look about the same size in our sky
   • Why each new moon makes an eclipse
   • Why Earth's shadow covers the Sun
10. 8.

    “Two side views, not to scale:” When the Moon is at its farthest from Earth, it looks a little smaller. Which eclipse can Tala read about at a new moon then?

    • An annular eclipse, with a ring of Sun showing
    • An eclipse at each new moon that season
    • A lunar eclipse, since the Moon is far away
    • A total eclipse, since the Moon is as big as the Sun
11. 9.

    “Classroom model, top view:” In a class model, a lamp is the Sun, a foam ball is the Moon and Zee's head is Earth. Where should Zee hold the ball to model a lunar eclipse?

    • At Y, inside the head's shadow
    • At W, between the head and the lamp
    • At X, beside the head
    • At Y-high, just above the head's shadow
12. 10.

    In the model, the ball's shadow on Bo's face is a small spot, not the whole face. What does this show about solar eclipses?

    • The head's shadow is what makes a solar eclipse
    • The whole day side sees totality at once
    • A small area of Earth sees totality
    • The ball must be as big as the lamp to work