I recall reading that you can have two consecutive solar eclipses , but it is NOT possible to have two consecutive lunar eclipses!Why? (In fact, lunar eclipses happen less frequently than solar! But, lunar eclipses cover a broader area, and thus give the general public the instinctive thought that lunar eclipses are more frequent.)
Anyone know more about this? It just seems amazing that two consecutive lunar eclipses is a mathematical impossibility!
The lunar orbital plane is tilted with respect to the Earth’s, so at Full Moon (when lunar eclipses must occur) the moon is usually above or below the shadow. If, for that month it happens to be at “a nodal point” (ie intersection between the two orbital planes) it will be in the shadow, however 29.5 days later it will not.
Hopefully someone can find a site that shows this graphically because it is hard to explain.
I guess I didn’t answer your question. Need to have a detailed look at the geometry of Earth-Moon-Sun. Could it be that that the “shadow zone” running from Sun to Earth and beyond is cone shaped, ie smaller behind the Earth (where lunar eclipses happen) than in front?
btw - there can be two consecutive “penumbral” lunar eclipses,