The rectilinear propagation of light means that light travels in straight lines as a wave. This can be observed in the well-defined shadows formed when an object blocks a light source and through the use of a pinhole camera.
According to Sudipa Sarkar, the formation of shadows with sharp edges demonstrates the rectilinear propagation of light, i.e. The fact that light travels in straight line. When an opaque obstacle is placed between a source of light and a screen, a shadow of the obstacle is formed on the screen. The kind of shadow depends on the size of the source of light. If it is a point source (light from a small hole), the shadow obtained is a region of total darkness, called umbra.
If an extended source of light, e.g. a bulb, is used, the umbra is surrounded by a region of partial darkness, called penumbra. The moon is seen because it reflects the sun's light. An eclipse of the moon (lunar eclipse) occurs when the earth comes between the sun and the moon and prevents some of the light from the sun from reaching the moon. In other words, the earth casts its shadow on the moon. The solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes between the sun and the earth.