Earth gets in the way

The cause of lunar eclipses is simple: Earth gets in the way. The Moon is a shiny beacon because it reflects sunlight. The Moon makes no light of its own. Earth always casts a shadow into space, and every now and then everything aligns just right so that the shadow falls on the Moon. Lunar eclipses can only occur at Full Moon, that time each month when the Moon is directly opposite the Earth in relation to the Sun. It's like you, representing the Earth, standing in front of a bright light and casting a shadow on a child [Graphic].