Question map
Which of the following statements is/are correct ? 1. In comparison to the Jupiter, planet Earth displays eclipses more frequently 2. On Mars only partial solar eclipses are possible Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect because Jupiter experiences solar eclipses much more frequently than Earth. Jupiter's four large Galilean moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) orbit nearly in the same plane as Jupiter's orbit around the Sun, and because Jupiter is far from the Sun, the Sun's apparent size is small. This leads to frequent eclipses, often occurring daily [t2, t5]. In contrast, Earth's Moon has a tilted orbit (5.1°), making eclipses relatively rare events occurring only during specific eclipse seasons [c4, c5]. Statement 2 is correct because the moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, are too small and too close to Mars to completely cover the Sun's disk. Consequently, they can only produce partial or annular eclipses (transits), never a total solar eclipse [t2, t3]. Therefore, only the second statement is accurate regarding planetary eclipse mechanics.
Sources
- [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 19: The Motions of The Earth and Their Effects > Why not every full moon day a lunar eclipse? Why not every new moon day a solar eclipse? > p. 266
- [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 19: The Motions of The Earth and Their Effects > Why not every full moon day a lunar eclipse? Why not every new moon day a solar eclipse? > p. 265