How does a solar eclipse occur when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun?

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun, casting a shadow onto Earth’s surface. This alignment happens during a new moon when the Moon is near one of the nodes of its orbit, where its path intersects the ecliptic.123

The Moon’s shadow consists of two primary regions:
* Umbra: A central, narrow cone where all direct sunlight is blocked, resulting in a total eclipse for observers within this path.42
* Penumbra: A wider surrounding area where only part of the Sun’s disk is obscured, resulting in a partial eclipse.23

The type of solar eclipse depends on the apparent sizes of the Sun and Moon, which vary based on their distances from Earth. If the Moon is too far away to cover the Sun completely, it leaves a bright ring visible, known as an annular eclipse. Because the Moon’s shadow is relatively small, a solar eclipse is visible only from a limited region on Earth.213