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How Is the Sun Completely Blocked in an Eclipse? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids
How Is the Sun Completely Blocked in an Eclipse? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids

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How Is the Sun Completely Blocked in an Eclipse?

The Short Answer:

	The Sun is completely blocked in a solar eclipse because the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun. Even though the Moon is much smaller than the Sun, because it is just the right distance away from Earth, the Moon can fully blocks the Sun’s light from Earth’s perspective.
	

This illustration shows the rare alignment of the Sun and Moon that casts a shadow on our planet. Credit: NASA/GSFC/CI Lab 
During a total solar eclipse, the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun. This completely blocks out the Sun's light. However, the Moon is about 400 times smaller than the Sun. How can it block all of that light?

It all has to do with the distance between Earth and the Sun and Earth and the Moon. 

 An illustration showing the Earth, Moon, and Sun during the August 21, 2017 eclipse. Image credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio
When objects are closer to us, they appear to be bigger than objects that are far away. For example, most stars in the night sky look like tiny white dots of light. In reality, many of those stars are larger than our Sun—they are just much farther away from Earth!
Even though the Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun, it's also about 400 times closer to Earth than the Sun is. This means that from Earth, the Moon and the Sun appear to be roughly the same size in the sky.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
So, when the Moon comes between Earth and the Sun during a total solar eclipse, the Moon appears to completely cover up the light from the Sun.
However, it won't always be this way.

Total solar eclipses won't be around forever!
The Moon's orbit is changing.
Education News & Blogs – NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Article 18 Ways NASA Uses Pi Whether it's sending spacecraft to other planets, driving rovers on Mars, finding out what planets are made of or how deep alien oceans are, pi takes us far at NASA. Find out how pi helps us explore space. AprilApril 8 – Watch the Total Solar EclipseTime to get some solar eclipse glasses and dig out your pinhole cameras once again – this time for the headliner, a total solar eclipse on April 8. The eclipse will start in the South Pacific Ocean before passing over Mexico and following a diagonal path northeast over the U.S. and Canada. NASA is holding community events across the country where you can hear from speakers and participate in activities. Learn more on the agency's web page for all things solar eclipse. Whether you're covering eclipse topics for the first time this school year or expanding on learning from October, this solar eclipse is a good time to get students exploring more about the science of eclipses. Start by looking at the five science experiments NASA has funded for the 2024 solar eclipse, then have students investigate solar eclipse science for themselves.Learning Resources Teachable Moment The Science of Solar Eclipses and How to Watch With NASA Learn about the science behind solar eclipses, how to watch safely, and how to engage students in NASA science. Student Project How to Make a Pinhole Camera Learn how to make your very own pinhole camera to safely see a solar eclipse in action! Lesson Model a Solar Eclipse Students use simple materials to model a partial, annular, and total solar eclipse. Math Problem Eclipsing Enigma: A ‘Pi in the Sky’ Math Challenge In this illustrated math problem, students use pi to figure out how much of the Sun’s disk will be covered by the Moon during an eclipse and whether it’s a total or annular eclipse. April 22 - Celebrate Earth Day With NASAYou may not immediately think of Earth science when you think of NASA, but it's a big part of what we do.
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First, the Moon needs to be in the new moon phase, which is when the Moon’s orbit brings it between Earth and the Sun. Second, eclipses can only happen during eclipse seasons, which last about 34 days and occur just shy of every six months. An eclipse season is the time period when the Sun, the Moon, and Earth can line up on the same plane as Earth's orbit during a new or full moon. If a new moon happens during an eclipse season, the shadow cast by the Moon will land on Earth, resulting in a solar eclipse. Most of the time, because the Moon’s orbit is slightly tilted, the Moon’s shadow falls above or below Earth, and we don't get a solar eclipse. Not all solar eclipses look the same. The distance between the Sun, the Moon, and Earth plays an important role in what we see during a solar eclipse. Even though the Moon is much smaller than the Sun (about 400 times smaller in diameter), the Sun and Moon look about the same size from Earth. This is because the Sun is about 400 times farther away than the Moon. But as the Moon travels its elliptical orbit around Earth, its size appears slightly larger when it is closer to Earth and slightly smaller when it is farther from Earth. This contributes to the different kinds of solar eclipses you might have heard about. For example: During a total solar eclipse, the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit and appears larger, completely blocking the Sun's disk. This allows viewers in the path of totality to see the Sun’s corona, which is usually obscured by the bright light of the Sun’s surface. This image of a total solar eclipse was captured on Aug. 21, 2017 from Madras, Oregon. Image credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani | › Full image and caption An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are properly aligned, but the Moon is farther away in its orbit, so it does not completely cover the Sun's disk from our perspective. Annular eclipses are notable for the "ring of fire," a thin ring of the Sun’s disk that's still visible around the Moon during annularity.
Sketch the Shape of the Sun for Science During the Solar Eclipse - NASA Science
For a few seconds, these glimmers of light look like beads along the Moon’s edge.The Baily's Beads effect is seen as the Moon makes its final move over the Sun during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017, above Madras, Oregon. This effect occurs when gaps in the Moon's rugged terrain allow sunlight to pass through in some places just before the total phase of the eclipse.NASA/Aubrey GemignaniThe SunSketcher app will use smartphones to automatically take a sequence of images as Baily's Beads appear. Volunteers will simply download a free app, activate it just before totality, set the phone down with the rear camera pointed at the Sun, and leave it alone. The app will use the phone’s GPS location to calculate when Baily’s Beads will be visible.“All you need is a cell phone,” says Gordon Emslie, SunSketcher’s project lead and professor of physics and astronomy at Western Kentucky University. “How many science projects can you do with the equipment you already have in your pocket?”Emslie says the cell phone images of Baily’s Beads will look fairly simple, but the tiny dots of light will provide crucial data about our star.“It’s the precise timing of when these flashes appear and disappear that can tell you how big the Sun is and what shape it is,” Emslie says.Citizen scientists will activate the Sunsketcher app before the eclipse and then prop their phone against a steady surface with the rear (back-facing) camera pointed at the Sun. The app will automatically take images of Baily’s Beads at the correct times.SunSketcher/Tabby ClineThe SunSketcher team will merge the images collected from various viewpoints on the eclipse path to create an evolving pattern of beads. This pattern will be compared with 3D maps that show the exact locations and distances between lunar craters, mountains, and valleys on the surface of the Moon from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The combined measurements will allow researchers to calculate the precise size and shape of the Sun based on the timing of the images captured over 90 minutes of eclipse observations.
What Is a Solar Eclipse? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids
What Is a Solar Eclipse? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids

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What Is a Solar Eclipse?

Click here to download this video (1920x1080, 70 MB, video/mp4).

What is a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse happens when, at just the right moment, the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth. Learn all about solar eclipses in this video!

"What Is a Solar Eclipse?" video transcript
Whoa! It’s the middle of the day—so why is the sky getting dark?
It’s a solar eclipse!
A solar eclipse happens when, at just the right moment, the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth.
Sometimes the Moon only blocks part of the Sun’s light. This is called a partial solar eclipse.
Other times, the Moon blocks all of the Sun’s light. This is called a total solar eclipse.
As the Moon blocks the Sun’s light, it casts a shadow on part of the Earth.
The Moon’s shadow creates a trail as Earth rotates. This trail is called the path of totality.
If you want to experience total darkness during an eclipse, you have to be in the path of totality.
In that path, the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s light for a few minutes. It gets so dark that it looks like night time during a full Moon!
If you don’t know what’s happening, it can be confusing. Animals can get confused too.
But this total darkness can also be kind of cool for scientists who study the Sun’s atmosphere, called the corona.
The corona is very dim. It’s usually hard to see because the Sun is so much brighter.
But, when the Moon blocks the Sun’s light during an eclipse, all you can see is the light from the corona!
Total solar eclipses over the land—where people can see them—don’t happen very often.
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Eclipse in a Different Light
In Path of Totality: Measuring Angular Size and Distance, students learn about the natural phenomena that create a total eclipse. Students also explore the history, mythology, science, and math that relate to these amazing events. NASA scientists and engineers introduce a satellite where scientists make artificial eclipses in order to learn more about the Sun's corona. Using hands-on lessons, web-based activities and simple tools, students will measure the angular size and predict the angular distance of objects in the sky.
	
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Ancient Observatories: Timeless Knowledge
In Ancient Observatories: Timeless Knowledge, students will learn how cultures from ancient times to the present have used the Sun and other objects in the sky to mark the passage of time. They will see how archaeoastronomers use ancient observatories to predict seasons and special events. Using simple tools of geometry and the angle bisector method, students will measure the movement of the Sun and find solar noon for their location. By conducting inquiry-based and web activities, students will make connections between NASA research and the mathematics, science, and technology they learn in their classrooms.
	
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Venus Transit
In the Venus Transit, students will learn about the importance of using scale models to represent the size and distance of objects in the solar system and beyond. They will be introduced to the astronomical unit (AU), the baseline distance from the Earth to the Sun, which astronomers use to determine the relative distances from the Earth to other planets, stars, asteroids, and objects in space. They will also discover fascinating facts about the Venus Transit, a celestial and historical event, which helped astronomers determine the scale of the solar system.
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Get a primer on all the engineering and science behind the mission from our Teachable Moments series, then explore related lessons and projects.Learning Resources Article Teachable Moments: Asteroid Mission Aims to Explore Mysteries of Earth's Core Explore how NASA's Psyche mission aims to help scientists answer questions about Earth and the formation of our solar system.  Collection Psyche Lessons for Educators Explore a collection of standards-aligned lessons related to NASA's Psyche mission. Collection Psyche Activities for Students Explore projects, videos, slideshows, and games for students all about asteroids. October 14 – Catch the Annular Solar EclipseOctober 14 marks the start of another exciting double-feature for skygazers: an annular solar eclipse followed by a total solar eclipse just six months later. In both events, the Sun, Moon, and Earth will align, creating a spectacular sight in the sky. But during the annular solar eclipse on October 14, a ring of sunlight will remain visible around the Moon. This is due to differences in the relative distances between the Sun, Moon, and Earth during the eclipse. In any case, remember to never look directly at the Sun without proper protection, such as certified solar eclipse glasses. Another fun way to view a solar eclipse is by making a pinhole camera. Students can even use their pinhole cameras to make solar art. Check out our Teachable Moments article for more info on where and when to watch the eclipse, plus a primer on the science of solar eclipses. And explore even more eclipse lessons and activities – including a math puzzler from our NASA Pi Day Challenge. Learning Resources Teachable Moment The Science of Solar Eclipses and How to Watch With NASA Get ready for the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023. Learn about the science behind solar eclipses, how to watch safely, and how to engage students in NASA science. Student Project How to Make a Pinhole Camera Learn how to make your very own pinhole camera to safely see a solar eclipse in action! Lesson Model a Solar Eclipse Students use simple materials to model a partial, annular, and total solar eclipse.
How Is the Sun Completely Blocked in an Eclipse? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids
This means that from Earth, the Moon and the Sun appear to be roughly the same size in the sky.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
So, when the Moon comes between Earth and the Sun during a total solar eclipse, the Moon appears to completely cover up the light from the Sun.
However, it won't always be this way.

Total solar eclipses won't be around forever!
The Moon's orbit is changing. In fact, the Moon's orbit grows about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) larger every year. As the Moon's orbit takes it farther and farther away from Earth, the Moon will appear smaller and smaller in our sky.
This occasionally happens now. The Moon's orbit isn't perfectly round. That means that sometimes the Moon is slightly farther away from Earth than it is at other times. Sometimes the Moon is far enough away that it doesn't create a total solar eclipse. In this case, the Moon obscures most of the Sun, but a thin ring of the Sun remains visible around the Moon.
However, once the Moon's growing orbit takes it approximately 14,600 miles (23,500 km) farther away from Earth, it will always be too far away to completely cover the Sun. That won't happen for a long time though. If the Moon's orbit grows only 1.5 inches every year, it will take more than 600 million years for total solar eclipses to completely disappear!

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 	article last updated March 29, 2024
 

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But as the Moon travels its elliptical orbit around Earth, its size appears slightly larger when it is closer to Earth and slightly smaller when it is farther from Earth. This contributes to the different kinds of solar eclipses you might have heard about. For example: During a total solar eclipse, the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit and appears larger, completely blocking the Sun's disk. This allows viewers in the path of totality to see the Sun’s corona, which is usually obscured by the bright light of the Sun’s surface. This image of a total solar eclipse was captured on Aug. 21, 2017 from Madras, Oregon. Image credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani | › Full image and caption An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are properly aligned, but the Moon is farther away in its orbit, so it does not completely cover the Sun's disk from our perspective. Annular eclipses are notable for the "ring of fire," a thin ring of the Sun’s disk that's still visible around the Moon during annularity. The name annular eclipse comes from the world of mathematics, where a ring shape is known as an annulus. On Jan. 4, 2017, the Hinode satellite captured these breathtaking images of an annular solar eclipse. Image credit: Hinode/XRT | › Full image and caption Partial eclipses can happen for two reasons. First, viewers outside the path of totality during a total solar eclipse – or the path of annularity during an annular eclipse – will see only part of the Sun’s surface covered by the Moon. The other time a partial eclipse can occur is when the Moon is nearly above or below Earth in its orbit so only part of the Moon’s shadow falls on Earth. In this case, only part of the Sun’s surface will appear covered by the Moon. The Sun appears partially eclipsed in this series of photos taken from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Aug. 21, 2017.
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This is the right time for us to open our eyes so that we can go, learn with other populations of the world.
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