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The Earth and the Moon both cast shadows into space, directly away from the Sun.
When the Moon passes into the Earth's shadow, a "lunar eclipse" takes place and
we see a circular shadow darken the bright disk of the Full Moon. When the Moon
passes between the Earth and the Sun, its shadow may fall upon the Earth, producing
an event we call a "solar eclipse." The spherical shapes of Sun, Earth, and Moon,
as well as their relative sizes and distances from one another, dictate the shape
and size of the shadows cast. The shadows of the Earth and the Moon have two distinct
parts: the umbra and the penumbra. The umbra is the inner shadow, in which light
from the Sun is completely blocked. The penumbra is the outer shadow, in which part,
but not all, of the Sun is blocked.
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