Are cell mutations always bad? A mutation is a change in the genetic material of an organism. We are made from trillions of cells, each with a nucleus composed of DNA â a set of instructions that tells the cell what to do. Cells copy themselves with astonishing accuracy, but every now and then a piece of code is copied incorrectly.
Seven eclipses occur in a minimum of 12 lunar months (about 354.37 days). Given that the calendar year is only about eleven days longer than 12 lunar months, the first of the seven eclipses has to come in early January for the seventh eclipse to occur before the end of the year.
Solar eclipses are an accident of nature. They are so spectacular because the Moon and the Sun appear almost the same size. In reality the Sun is much further away then the Moon, but much larger. The Moon orbits the Earth once a month, and eclipses happen if it lines up exactly with the Earth and the Sun. Solar eclipses occur at New Moon, when the Moon is between Earth and the Sun. Lunar eclipses occur at Full Moon, when Earth is between the Sun and the Moon. Eclipses do not take place every month because the orbits of the Moon and Earth are tilted at an angle. Most of the time, the line-up is not precise enough for an eclipse. However, there are more eclipses than people are generally aware of: