GED Science Practice

The phenomenon where the sunlight is blocked from reaching the moon is known as a lunar eclipse. During a lunar eclipse, the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, causing the Earth's shadow to cover the moon. This can only occur during a full moon, when the sun, Earth, and moon are aligned in a straight line.

In contrast, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, which is the opposite scenario. Rainbow formation is a completely different process involving the refraction, dispersion, and reflection of sunlight in water droplets. The Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is an atmospheric phenomenon caused by charged particles from the sun interacting with the Earth's magnetic field, and does not involve blocking sunlight. Therefore, the correct answer focuses on the interaction between the Earth and the moon that results in the shadowing effect during a lunar eclipse.