what factor limits the number of eclipses per year?
What factor limits the number of eclipses per year?
Answer:
The factor that limits the number of eclipses per year is the occurrence of the eclipse seasons. Eclipse seasons happen twice a year, about every 173.3 days apart, due to the alignment of the lunar nodes with the Sun and Earth. These seasons are when the Sun is close to the points where the Moon’s orbit crosses the ecliptic, resulting in the potential for solar and lunar eclipses. However, not all alignments during these seasons result in eclipses because the Moon’s orbit is tilted slightly compared to Earth’s orbit around the Sun. This tilt causes the shadow of the Moon to usually pass above or below the Earth, limiting the number of eclipses per year despite the occurrence of eclipse seasons.