The Moon’s Soft Shadow
On some nights, a full Moon seems to change without changing its shape. One side may look a little dimmer than usual, as if a faint gray veil has been drawn across it. This subtle sight can happen during a penumbral lunar eclipse.
A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, and Earth’s shadow falls on the Moon. Earth’s shadow has two main regions. The darker inner region is called the umbra. From there, Earth blocks direct sunlight from the Sun’s entire disk. The lighter outer region is called the penumbra. From there, Earth blocks only part of the Sun’s disk, so some direct sunlight still reaches the Moon.
During a penumbral lunar eclipse, the Moon passes through that lighter outer shadow without entering the umbra. Because the Moon still receives some sunlight, it does not go dark. Instead, part of its surface may appear slightly shaded. The change can be so gentle that a person who is not watching closely might miss it. Clouds, bright city lights, and the Moon’s position in the sky can also make the shading harder to notice.
- subtle:
- Not easy to notice; slight.
- direct:
- Traveling straight from a source without being redirected.
- surface:
- The outside or top layer of something.
- atmosphere:
- The layer of gases surrounding a planet.
- tilted:
- Slanted rather than level or straight.
- horizon:
- The line where the sky appears to meet the land or sea.
- observer:
- A person who watches or notices something.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why might someone miss a penumbral lunar eclipse even if it is happening?
- 2How does the sunlight reaching the Moon differ in the penumbra and the umbra?
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About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“The Moon’s Soft Shadow” is a explanatory article reading passage about Penumbral lunar eclipses, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (521 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.