Best Answer: Its amazing what you can learn if you read about this. Total lunar eclipses only occur when the moon is on the side of the Earth directly opposite the sun (it appears as a full moon). Full moon occurs every 29.5 days (about once a month). But the moon doesn't orbit the Earth in the same plane as the sun appears, so there are many times when the moon is either above or below that direct line with the sun - the moon misses Earth's shadow. Total solar eclipses ANYWHERE are more rare than lunar eclipses: - the moon has to be directly in line with the sun.