During a lunar eclipse, what is the penumbra?(1 point)
Responses
It is the part of Earth’s shadow where the sun is only partially blocked.
It is the part of Earth’s shadow where the sun is only partially blocked.
It is the part of the moon’s shadow where the sun is only partially blocked.
It is the part of the moon’s shadow where the sun is only partially blocked.
It is the part of Earth’s shadow where the sun is completely blocked.
It is the part of Earth’s shadow where the sun is completely blocked.
It is the part of the moon’s shadow where the sun is completely blocked.
It is the part of the Earth's shadow where the sun is only partially blocked.
It is the part of Earth's shadow where the sun is only partially blocked.
The correct answer is: It is the part of the moon's shadow where the sun is only partially blocked.
To understand this concept, we need to first understand the two main regions of a shadow during a lunar eclipse: the umbra and the penumbra.
The umbra is the dark central region where the Sun is completely blocked by the Earth. It is the part of the shadow where the Moon experiences a total eclipse.
The penumbra, on the other hand, is the outer region of the shadow where the Sun is only partially blocked. It is the part of the shadow where the Moon experiences a partial eclipse.
So during a lunar eclipse, when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon, the Moon passes through the Earth's shadow. The Moon first enters the penumbra, where the Sun is only partially blocked, causing a partial eclipse. As the Moon continues to move, it eventually enters the umbra, where the Sun is completely blocked, causing a total eclipse.
So, in the context of the original question, the penumbra refers to the part of the Moon's shadow where the Sun is only partially blocked.