We do not speak of this as an eclipse, but really it _is_ an Eclipse of the stars by the Moon. They are hidden by the solid body of the Moon, just exactly as the Sun is hidden during a Total Eclipse. The chief difference is that we look upon the bright side of the Moon, instead of the dark side. Again, you will sometimes hear of a CONJUNCTION of two planets, or of a planet and a very bright star. A “Conjunction” means “a joining together.” Jupiter is seen, in the sky, to come very close indeed to Saturn. We are told that it is “a Conjunction” of Jupiter and Saturn. Still you must not for a moment think that Jupiter is any closer than usual to Saturn. They are divided, as always, by a great gulf of millions upon millions of miles. The two only happen to be for a while in nearly the same _line of sight_, as looked upon from the Earth. Saturn is very much farther off, but he is almost _behind_ Jupiter. Instead of Jupiter and Saturn seeming to draw near together, it may be Jupiter and Venus; or perhaps Jupiter and Mars; or Saturn and the bright star Sirius. But in each case it is only a seeming nearness. They are not really near together. It is only a matter of the one being seen _beyond_ the other--very greatly beyond it--in almost the same line of sight. Suppose you stood on the sea-shore and saw a ship one or two miles off sail just between you and another ship ten or twenty miles off. If the near one _hid_ the farther one it would be like an Eclipse. If the near one only appeared to be _side by side_ with, the farther one it would be like a Conjunction. There is still one more sight, which is also like an Eclipse in its nature. Sometimes one of the planets whose pathway lies nearer to the Sun than the Earth’s pathway glides exactly between the Sun and ourselves. This is just what the Moon does at an Eclipse of the Sun. But the planet is too far away from us to hide the Sun. We can only see a tiny dark body creeping across the Sun’s face; and we call this a “TRANSIT,” or a “passing over.” You will hear more about “Transits” in the next chapter. QUESTIONS. 1. What is an Eclipse? A hiding of light. 2. Tell me what causes an Eclipse of the Sun. The round body of the Moon comes exactly between the Earth and the Sun, and hides the Sun from us. 3. Tell me what causes an Eclipse of the Moon. The round body of the Earth comes exactly between Sun and Moon; and the Earth’s shadow falling on the Moon makes her dark. 4. How far are the two alike? In an Eclipse of the Sun, the Moon is between Sun and Earth. In an Eclipse of the Moon, the Earth is between Sun and Moon. 5. Do they seem just alike to us? Not as seen from Earth. In an Eclipse of the Sun we see the Moon’s solid body against the Sun. In an Eclipse of the Moon we see Earth’s shadow crossing the Moon’s face. 6. Does the Moon get nearer to the Sun than usual in an Eclipse of the Sun? No nearer at all. She only passes _between_ the Sun and Earth.