What phenomenon occurs when the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun?

The phenomenon that occurs when the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun is known as a solar eclipse. During this event, the Moon blocks some or all of the Sun's light from reaching the Earth, creating a shadow on the planet's surface. This can result in different types of solar eclipses, such as total, partial, or annular eclipses, depending on the alignment and distances between the Earth, Moon, and Sun.

In a total solar eclipse, the Moon completely covers the Sun, while in a partial solar eclipse, only part of the Sun is obscured. An annular eclipse occurs when the Moon is too far from Earth in its orbit to completely cover the Sun, leaving a ring-like appearance.

Lunar eclipses, transits, and occultations involve different celestial alignments and are not relevant to this specific question. Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, blocking sunlight from reaching the Moon. Transits refer to a planet passing directly in front of the Sun as viewed from Earth, like when Venus or Mercury transits across the solar disk. Occultation involves one celestial object passing in front of another, hiding it from view, which is not the same as the Moon blocking the