Eclipses is describe in two ways - eclipse of the sun and the eclipse of the moon. When an eclipse occur to the sun, it is called the solar eclipse. On the other hand, when it occurs to the moon it is called the lunar eclipse. If the whole part is being covered, it is called the total eclipse. If only a part, it is called the partial eclipse. Here are more facts about these two kinds of eclipses.
A total eclipses of the sun only occurs when the sun, moon and our world aligns in a straight line. The tilt of the moon affects how many times it happens and thus, it only occurs twice a year. When the moon pushes itself between the Earth and the Sun, it will cast a shadow to the surface of the Earth. The center of the shadow is called the umbra. The surrounding circle is called the penumbra. The umbra moves from the west to the east 1, 600 kilometers per hour. And the only people who can see the eclipse are the one that is on its path. People should wear sunglasses to protect themselves from the rays of the sun while watching it happen, especially staring for along period of time.
Lunar Eclipses
The earth always cast a shadow on the opposite side of the sun. As the earth rotates around the sun, the shadow also moves with it. The moon, in return, orbits the earth. About once in every 29 days, the moon overtakes the earth's shadow. When the moon passes through the earth's shadow, a lunar eclipse will happen. It can be seen during the night. If the moon passes through the umbra of the earth's shadow, it is called as the umbral eclipse. If it misses the umbra, ir is called as a penumbral. 
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