The big picture
Here are the thirteen ideas.
| Idea | Remember |
|---|---|
| Two motions at once | Earth turns once a day. It goes round the Sun once a year. |
| One face only | The Moon turns once in each trip round Earth. So one face always points at us. |
| Three in a line | A body in the way makes a shadow. If it lands on another body, that is an eclipse. |
| Solar eclipse | In a solar eclipse the Moon is between the Sun and Earth. Its shadow lands on a small part of Earth. |
| Lunar eclipse | In a lunar eclipse Earth is between the Sun and the Moon. Earth shades the Moon. |
| Not every month | The Moon's path is tilted about 5°. At most New Moons, its shadow misses Earth. |
| Watching safely | Never look straight at the Sun, even in an eclipse. A lunar eclipse is safe to watch. |
| Sun across the sky | Earth turns from west to east. The Sun seems to rise in the east. It seems to set in the west. |
| Day and night places | Half of Earth faces the Sun, so it is day there. Places in the east see sunrise first. |
| Pole Star | The Pole Star sits almost over Earth's north pole. So it hardly moves. Other stars circle it. |
| Night sky in a year | A star rises about 4 minutes earlier each night. After one year it is back at about its first time. |
| Seasons | Earth's axis leans. In June the north leans toward the Sun. So its sunlight is stronger. |
| Longest day | In the north, the longest day is near 21 June. The shortest is near 22 December. |
Every idea here is a motion, a tilt or a shadow.
Now open Chapter 12 in your NCERT book. You have already met the chapter's eclipse ideas here.