Lunar and Solar Eclipses

Eclipses of the sun and the moon Lunar Eclipses occur when the Moon passes through the shadow of the Earth. Solar Eclipses occur when the Earth passes through the shadow of the Moon. If the Moon's orbit were exactly aligned with the Ecliptic, we would see A solar eclipse every New Moon A lunar eclipse every Full Moon But, this clearly does not happen. Why? The moon's orbit is tilted ~5° from the Ecliptic. Where the moon's orbit crosses the Ecliptic defines the "Line of Nodes" Eclipses only occur when the line of nodes and the Sun line up during Full Moon or New Moon.