What causes a solar eclipse to occur?

Prepare for the Sonography Entrance Exam. Study with quizzes and multiple choice questions, each featuring hints and thorough explanations. Excel on your test!

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly between the sun and the Earth. During this alignment, the moon blocks some or all of the sunlight from reaching the Earth, leading to a temporary darkening of the sky during the day. This phenomenon can only take place during a new moon phase when the moon is positioned in a way that allows it to obscure the sun's light.

Other choices describe scenarios that do not correspond to a solar eclipse. For instance, when the Earth moves between the sun and the moon, a lunar eclipse occurs instead, which is when the Earth casts a shadow on the moon. The sun moving behind the Earth does not depict an eclipse event at all; rather, it describes a situation where the sun is not visible from the perspective of Earth, but this does not involve the moon. Lastly, the moon moving in front of the stars is not relevant to a solar eclipse, as the stars are not part of the eclipse event itself. Thus, the correct option highlights the fundamental aspect of a solar eclipse—a direct alignment of the moon between the sun and Earth.

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