Final answer:
The Sun, Moon, and Earth are part of a celestial dynamics viewed distinctly from Los Angeles. The Sun moves across the LA sky due to Earth's rotation, and the Moon's position changes with its phases. Eclipses showcase their alignment, and an interesting coincidence makes the Sun and Moon appear similar in size from Earth.
Step-by-step explanation:
From Los Angeles, the relative positions of the Sun, the Moon, and Earth depend on the time of day and the lunar phase. During the day, from Los Angeles, the Sun is visible in the sky while the Moon's visibility and position will vary depending on its phase. The Earth rotates on its axis, causing the Sun to appear to move across the sky from east to west due to Earth's west-to-east rotation.
At night, if the Moon is above the horizon, its position relative to the Sun can be appreciated as it goes through its various phases, due to its orbit around Earth. For example, during a full Moon, it would be opposite the Sun in the sky, visible at night. The Moon's orbit and phases can be observed as it moves through its cycle, with a simple experiment using a tennis ball and a light source, to simulate the Sun, Earth, and Moon system.
Occasionally, when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth, a solar eclipse occurs, and when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon, a lunar eclipse happens. Viewed from Los Angeles, these events can be observed, weather permitting, showing the dynamic nature of the celestial relationships. A famous occurrence of this dynamic was the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017, and the total lunar eclipse on January 31, 2018.
The Sun and the Moon have nearly the same angular size as viewed from Earth, about 1/2° because of a peculiar coincidence in which the Sun's larger size is counterbalanced by its greater distance from Earth compared to the Moon.