Moon clouds. The illuminated area of the visible sphere (degree of illumination) is given by formula_3, where formula_4 is the elongation (i.e., the angle between Moon, the observer (on Earth) and the Sun). The gravitational attraction that masses have for one another decreases inversely with the square of the distance of those masses from each other. As a result, the slightly greater attraction that the Moon has for the side of Earth closest to the Moon, as compared to the part of the Earth opposite the Moon, results in tidal forces. Tidal forces affect both the Earth's crust and oceans. The
Partial/total eclipses on the Moon Partial/total eclipses on the Moon Partial/total Solar eclipses on the Moon are caused when the Earth passes in front of the Sun, blocking a part its light in one part and the whole light in the other. Viewers on Earth will see a partial lunar eclipse. During its eclipses, the Earth will be in new phase, completely dark, except for moonshine and sunlight refracted through the earth's atmosphere, visible as a ring of light. The next partial-total solar eclipse on the Moon will be partial-total on August 7, 2017 with the southern portion of the Southern Hemisphere seeing totality. Seen