This may seem like a stupid question, but how come during solar eclipses the moon happens to be an almost perfect for over the sun? Especially considering the fact that they are so different in size and distance from the Earth? Is this coincidental?
In: 2
It’s actually a coincidence. The moon is exactly the right amount closer to us than the sun so that they appear to be the same size. It’s about 400 times smaller and also 400 times closer. This probably wasn’t always the case and it won’t always be the case in the future; the moon’s orbit is moving further and further from Earth over time, and this is an inevitable phase of that journey, which makes it not quite as shocking a coincidence as some people like to portray. But it is pretty cool anyway, since it allows the moon to eclipse the sun perfectly at this point in the solar system’s development.
Latest Answers