Where does this come from, and can I check it?

The Moon's shadow is small, so you have to travel into its path. The figure is taken from NASA Eclipses, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a space fact?

Yes. It sits on the Space shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Totality never lasts longer than about seven and a half minutes

The Moon's shadow is small, so you have to travel into its path Totality happens because the Moon and Sun look nearly the same size, a coincidence of distance and diameter. The longest eclipses occur when the Moon is near perigee and Earth near aphelion. Partial phases last over an hour. It sits in Mondo's space collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

NASA Eclipses

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

Go further

Space & Astronomy trivia

More facts like this

Eclipses repeat on an 18 year Saros cycleThe Sun, Moon and node alignment recurs after 223 lunar months Lunar eclipses glow red because of bent sunlightEarth's atmosphere refracts red light into the shadow that colours the Moon Standard A4 paper uses a unique mathematical aspect ratioThe side ratio of one to the square root of two preserves proportions when folded Round manhole covers cannot fall through their own openingsCircular geometry prevents street covers from slipping diagonally into shafts The lunar night falls to about minus 173 CelsiusWith no air to hold heat, the surface swings hundreds of degrees a day Artemis targets the Moon's south poleWater ice in permanently shadowed craters could make fuel and air

Tags: eclipses, moon, geometry

Totality never lasts longer than about seven and a half minutes: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: The Moon's shadow is small, so you have to travel into its path. The figure is taken from NASA Eclipses, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a space fact?: Yes. It sits on the Space shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.