When the Moon is near or conjunct its nodes, it intersects the plane of our orbit around the Sun (the ecliptic), which can also be described as Sun’s plane across the sky. When Sun and Moon are near or conjunct Moon’s nodes, there is an eclipse, because their union consists of both their proximity in the sky by zodiacal (celestial) longitude (conjunct or opposite) and that union being at a point of their crossing planes. This provides a conjunction (Solar Eclipse) or opposition (Lunar Eclipse) with a perfect syzygy from our line of sight.

Comments