Ok so after some searching, I found some help! We don't experience a lunar eclipse every time we have a full moon because:
1. There is a 5 degree tilt to the angle in which the moon revolves around the sun (which we discussed in class) therefore "the Moon spends most of the time either above or below the plane of Earth's orbit.". (look at picture in book page 23 bottom right hand corner).
2. "...the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun is important because Earth's shadows lie exactly in the same plane. During Full Moon, our natural satellite (the moon) usually passes above or below Earth's shadows and misses them entirely. No eclipse takes place. But two to four times each year, the Moon passes through some portion of the Earth's penumbral or umbral shadows" and we see an eclipse.
Want more info? http://www.mreclipse.com/Special/LEprimer.html
Want to know when the next lunar eclipse is? Not until June 4! And we will only see a partial lunar eclipse here in the USA! Look at NASA's website for more info!
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/lunar.html
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