How an Eclipse Happens

Materials Needed:

  • grape (Moon)
  • orange (Earth)
  • toothpick
  • Two packing “peanuts”
  • flashlight (Sun)
  • ruler


1. Take the packing “peanuts” (little pieces of styrofoam) and stick the toothpick through them. Place the grape on top of the toothpick so it is about two inches high.

2. Place the orange about three inches behind the grape on a table.


3. Shine the flashlight (Sun) directly at the Moon and Earth from about 1 foot away.

    Look at the Earth. You should see a shadow that is darker in the middle and lighter on the outside.

    The darker part of the shadow represents the umbra, the shadow of the Moon from which total solar eclipses can be seen.The lighter part of the shadow represents the penumbra from which only partial solar eclipses are seen.

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