Astronomy/Eclipse

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Expert: Jayendra Upadhye - 9/14/2008


Question
If you could change the layout of the solar system, then what would cause a lunar eclipse to occur at least once every month in this hypothetical situation?


Answer
Hi,
This is a watson-esque question!
And it warrants a holmes-esque answer!!

"Elementary, my dear watson, Make the lunar orbit Coplanar with the plane of the ecliptic!"

That way, once every month, one would have a gauranteed total/annular solar eclipse, and a linar eclipse too, but 15 days apart!!

If one then tilted the earth's axis to be at 90 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic, we would have these eclipses, smack "along the equatorial plane" of the earth.

Hope that suffices.
Please do rate the answer if you find that helpful.
regards
Jayen

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Jayendra Upadhye

Expertise

1 - General questions on most astronomy topics such as:- Solar system, Cosmology, Black holes, Quasars, Dark matter etc. 2 - General questions about the geologies of planets. 3 - General questions about Orbits and laws governing them. 4 - General questions about rockets / spaceships 5 - General questions about stellar interiors and supernovas.

Experience

I was an askme.com expert rated no#1 for quite some time - and was top ten there by the time it closed - in Astronomy and general science categories.

Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Engg. (Electrical engg), Maharaja Sayajirao university of Baroda, Gujarat, India.

Awards and Honors
None to write about except the askme rating if it is any worth!

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