14 Fun Facts About Eclipses: Educational Version

Eclipses have amazed and terrified people for thousands of years. The sky grows dark. Daytime animals go to sleep and nocturnal animals wake up. Roosters crow and cows come in for milking. The sun is slowly covered by some mysterious celestial object. Sometimes it is blocked out completely. What had the people done wrong? Would the sun ever come back? Was it the end of the world?
Today we know that eclipses are caused by the movements of the sun, the moon and the Earth. They still amaze us and they can still terrify us. How much do you know about eclipses?
How many kinds of eclipses are there?
What is an annular eclipse? (Hint: it's not an eclipse that occurs once a year.)
True or false: A solar eclipse can only occur on a new moon?
How many different shadows does a solar eclipse have?
What are Baily's Beads?

Find out more about eclipses and amaze your family and friends with these fun facts.

All measurements in American and metric.
Ages 8 and up.

The Educational Version has activities that meet Common Core Curriculum Standards.

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