Page 2 - Lesson Note-Eclipses

• When a part of the moon is in the earth's while the other part is in its
penumbra, a partial lunar eclipse is observed.

HISTORY ON ECLIPSES

Ancient Beliefs:

• Babylonians predicted eclipses using early star charts

• Chinese legend: A dragon was believed to devour the Sun!

• India: Myth of Rahu swallowing the Sun or Moon.

Scientific Breakthroughs:

1919 Solar Eclipse: Proved Einstein's theory of General Relativity—light bends
around gravity.

Fun Fact:
A lunar eclipse in 413 BCE delayed a Greek military campaign due to fear of bad
omens!

Interactive Activities:-

DIY Eclipse Model

Objective: To understand how solar and lunar eclipses occur using a simple
physical model.

Materials Needed: Flashlight (represents the Sun), a small ping-pong or Styrofoam
ball(represents the Moon), a large ball or globe (represents the Earth), a stick or
string (to hold the "Moon" ball)

Process:-

1) Place the flashlight on a table or hold it straight in a completely dark room.
2) Place the Earth (large ball) about 2–3 feet away from the flashlight.
3) Hold the Moon (small ball) between the flashlight and the Earth.