Facts and Quiz: Multiple Choice Questions on Lunar Eclipse

A partial lunar eclipse is scheduled to take place on the 28th and 29th of October 2023, which corresponds to the 6th and 7th of Kartika in the year 1945 of the Saka Era. The Moon will enter the penumbra on the midnight of the 28th of October, and the umbral phase will commence in the early hours of the 29th of October. This eclipse will be observable from all regions of India around midnight.

The eclipse will also be visible in a vast geographical area, encompassing the Western Pacific Ocean, Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa, eastern South America, northeastern North America, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the South Pacific Ocean.

The umbral phase of this eclipse is expected to commence at 01:05 AM IST on the 29th of October and conclude at 02:24 AM IST. The duration of the eclipse will last for 1 hour and 19 minutes, with a very small magnitude of 0.126.

The next lunar eclipse visible from India is slated for the 7th of September 2025, and it will be a total lunar eclipse. The most recent lunar eclipse visible from India occurred on the 8th of November 2022, and it was a total eclipse.

A lunar eclipse transpires on a full moon day when the Earth positions itself between the Sun and the Moon, creating alignment between all three celestial bodies. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the entire Moon falls within the umbral shadow of the Earth, while a partial lunar eclipse transpires when only a portion of the Moon enters the Earth's shadow.

Do you understand what a lunar eclipse is and what varieties there are? Let us learn in the form of questions and answers.

1. What type of eclipse occurs when the earth's shadow is cast on a full moon?

A. solar

B. lunar

Ans. B

2. When does the Lunar Eclipse occur?

When Sun is between Earth and Moon

When Earth is between Sun and Moon

When Moon is between Earth and Sun

When Earth is between Sun and other celestial bodies

Ans. B

3. When did the lunar eclipse happen?

Half Moon

Full Moon

Equinox

None of the above

Ans. B

4. Select the correct option matching together about Earth shadows:

Umbra - darker, central part

Penumbra - the outer part

Antumbra - partly shaded area beyond the umbra

Correct Options are:

Only 1 and 2

Only 2 and 3

Only 1

All 1, 2 and 3

Ans. D

5. During which Moon phase might a lunar eclipse be viewed on Earth?

new Moon

first quarter

full Moon

last quarter

Ans. C

6. A lunar eclipse is caused by the shadow of the Earth.

True

False

Ans. A

7. When a total lunar eclipse happens, the Moon is in the Earth's

penumbra

umbra

Ans. B

8. What is the darkest inner part of the shadow cone called, where a total eclipse can be viewed?

Total

Umbra

Penumbra

Multiple-choice

Ans. B

9. What is the larger outer lighter part of the shadow cone called, where a partial eclipse can be viewed?

Partial

Umbra

Penumbra

Ans. C

10. What moon phase occurs during a lunar eclipse?

full moon

new moon

3rd quarter

waxing crescent

Ans. A

11. What type of eclipse occurs when the moon doesn't completely cover the sun?

partial solar eclipse

total solar eclipse

total lunar eclipse

partial lunar eclipse

Ans. A

12. During ancient times, an eclipse was scary because people _____________________ . When the Moon's appearance made a drastic change, people really did not know what to expect.

used the day and night to tell time and seasons.

used the Moon and Sun to tell time and seasons.

used the phases of the Moon to tell time and seasons.

used the Moon and Sun to tell the weather and seasons.

Ans. B

13. A full lunar eclipse

occurs once a month somewhere on earth every 28 days.

occurs when the earth passes directly in front of a new moon.

occurs when the Sun passes directly in front of a full moon.

occurs when the Earth passes directly in front of a full moon.

Ans. D

14. During a partial lunar eclipse

only a portion of the world will go completely dark.

only a portion of the Moon passes through the Earth's shadow.

only a portion of the Earth passes through the Sun's shadow.

Ans. B

15. It is not dangerous to look directly at the Moon during a lunar eclipse because the Moon is not giving off its own light.

True

False

Ans. A

16. The word eclipse comes from the Greek word meaning ___________.

darkness

downfall

lunatic

cut

Ans. B

17. More people on Earth can view a lunar eclipse than a solar eclipse.

True

False

Ans. A

18.Why Don't Eclipses Happen Every Month?

Eclipses only happen when the sun, moon and Earth all line up, at syzygy

Most months, the lunar orbit carries the moon above or below the shadow of the Earth, and there is no lunar eclipse.

The moon's orbit is tilted about 5 degrees from the plane of the Earth's orbit around the sun

all of the above

Ans. D

19. During this eclipse, the moon is too close to Earth making it too small to block all of the Sun's light - leaving a ring of sunlight visible around the Moon. What type of solar eclipse is this?

total solar eclipse

partial solar eclipse

annular solar eclipse

Ans. C

20. During this eclipse, the Moon is at the perfect distance from the Earth to make it appear to be the same size as the Sun. What type of solar eclipse is this?

total solar eclipse

partial solar eclipse

annular solar eclipse

Ans. A

21. An eclipse occurs when one object in space moves in the ___________ of another.

reflection

shadow

orbit

rotation

Ans. B

22. A lunar eclipse occurs at which moon phase?

quarter moon

new moon

crescent moon

full moon

Ans. D

23. A lunar eclipse occurs about

once in 3 years

twice a year

once a month

once in 5 years

Ans. B

24. Since some light is filtered through Earth's atmosphere during a lunar eclipse, the moon will appear

red

orange

blue

yellow

Ans. A

25. During a lunar eclipse

Earth's shadow covers the moon

the sun's shadow covers the moon

the moon covers the sun

Earth's shadow covers the sun

Ans. A

26. The position of the Earth, moon and Sun during a lunar eclipse is

sun--moon--Earth

Earth--sun--moon

sun--Earth--moon

moon--sun--Earth

Ans. C

27. A lunar eclipse can only occur during

a gibbous moon

a new moon

a full moon

a crescent moon

Ans. C

28. A super moon occurs when

The moon's gravitational pull is the strongest.

The moon glows the brightest.

The moon is closest in its orbit to Earth.

The moon is both waxing and waning simultaneously.

Ans. C

29. When there is a lunar eclipse, we can expect

a solar eclipse 2 weeks before or after.

the world will come to a fiery end.

birds to fall from the skies.

an earthquake

Ans. A

30. The reason there isn't a lunar eclipse every month is because

The moon only gets full every few months, so there can't be eclipses more often.

The moon gets frightened after an eclipse and stays away from Earth, but it forgets soon.

there aren't enough planets and moons in the solar system for it to happen more.

The moon's tilted orbit doesn't put it in Earth's shadow very often.

Ans. D