Maharashtra Board Class 7 Geography Chapter 2 The Sun, The Moon And The Earth
Maharashtra Board Class 7 Geography Chapter 2 The Sun The Moon And The Earth | Maharashtra Board Class 7 Geography Solutions Extra question answers from the chapter for the students.
Fill in the blanks:
- When the Moon is closest to the Earth, it is in ………..[perigee]
- When the Moon is farthest to the Earth it is in …….[apogee]
Answer the following questions:
What are eclipses ? How do they occur?
The orbital paths of the Earth and Moon are at an angle of about 5 degrees, causing the Moon to intersect the Earth’s orbital plane twice during one revolution. On new moon days, the Earth-Sun-Moon angle is 0 degrees, while on full moon days, it is 180 degrees. However, eclipses do not occur on every new or full moon day, as the three may not always be in the same plane. Eclipses only occur when the Earth, Sun, and Moon fall in one line and are in the same plane. Eclipses can be solar or lunar.
What is annular eclipse?
During an apogee position of the moon, it is at its farthest from the earth, and the deep shadow of the moon is cast in space, not reaching the earth. This results in a rare phenomenon called an annular eclipse, where from a very small region on earth, only an illuminated edge of the sun disc is visible in the form of a ring.
Describe Solar Eclipse
When the moon is between the sun and the earth, the shadow of the moon falls on the earth, resulting in a solar eclipse. This happens when the three celestial objects are on the same plane and in one line. The shadow has two parts: the darker central portion and the lighter periphery. In the area of the dark shadow, the sun becomes completely invisible, resulting in a total solar eclipse. In contrast, in the areas where the shadow is lighter, the sun appears partially covered, which is called a partial solar eclipse. Total solar eclipses are only visible in a limited region of the earth.
Describe Lunar Eclipse
A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon enters the shadow of the earth while revolving around it. For a lunar eclipse to occur, the earth, moon, and sun must be in the same plane, and the earth must be between the sun and the moon. During a full moon, the moon’s path of revolution passes through the thick shadow of the earth. If the moon is completely hidden within the shadow, it is a total lunar eclipse, while if only part of the moon is in the shadow, it is a partial lunar eclipse.
What are the characteristics of Solar Eclipse?
Solar eclipses occur on a new moon day, but not on every new moon day. For a solar eclipse to occur, the sun, moon, and earth must be in the same plane and fall in one line. The maximum duration of a total solar eclipse is 7 minutes and 20 seconds (440 seconds).
What are the characteristics of Lunar Eclipse?
Lunar eclipses occur on a full moon day, but not on every full moon day. For a lunar eclipse to occur, the sun, moon, and earth must be in the same plane and fall in one line. The maximum duration of a total lunar eclipse is 107 minutes.
