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A solar eclipse can only happen while the Moon is in which phase?
AThe full moon
BFirst quarter
CThe new moon
DThird quarter
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. The new moon
1. A solar eclipse needs the Moon to pass in front of the Sun.
2. The Moon sits in the same direction as the Sun only at new moon.
3. Solar eclipses can therefore occur only at the time of the new moon.
4. At full moon the Moon is opposite the Sun, which is the setup for a lunar eclipse instead.
_Source: OpenStax Astronomy (CC BY 4.0), Ch 4 "Earth, Moon, and Sky" and Ch 5 "Radiation and Spectra", section 4.7 Eclipses of the Sun and Moon_
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