Eclipse Orbital & Shadow Geometry Visualizer

Eclipse Scenarios

Simulation Speed 1.0x

Orbital Position / Lunar Phase 0.0Â° (New Moon)

Earth-Moon Distance 363,300 km (Perigee)

Lunar Orbital Inclination 5.14Â° (Real Earth/Moon)

Node Alignment Offset 0.0Â° (Line of Nodes)

Visual Optics & Rays

Umbra Cone Penumbra Cone Line of Nodes Ecliptic Plane

Simulation View Angle

Ready: Total Solar Eclipse configuration loaded.

Solar System Scale & Shadow Cone

Total Solar Eclipse

Earth Sky Observer FOV 1.2Â°

Alignment / Syzygy

0.02Â°

Angular Sun-Earth-Moon collinearity

Moon Angular Size

0.55Â°

Sun angular diameter is 0.53Â°

Ecliptic Latitude

+0.01Â°

Distance from ecliptic shadow plane

Totality Obscuration

100.0%

Shadow coverage of central disk

Because the Moon is near perigee (close to Earth), its apparent angular disk is larger than the Sun's disk, and the Moon is directly passing through an orbital node, producing a complete blackout of the photosphere and revealing the solar corona.

1. Syzygy (Linear Collinearity)

An eclipse can only occur when the Sun, Earth, and Moon form a straight line in three-dimensional space, known as syzygy. When the Moon stands between Sun and Earth, it is a Solar Eclipse (New Moon). When Earth stands between Sun and Moon, it is a Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon).

2. The 5.14Â° Orbital Inclination

The Moon does not orbit in Earth's orbital plane (the ecliptic). Its orbital plane is tilted by approximately 5.14Â°. The two points where the paths intersect are called "nodes". An eclipse can only happen during an "eclipse season" when New or Full Moon coincides with a nodal crossing.

3. Umbra, Penumbra & Antumbra

Because the Sun is an extended light source rather than a point, bodies cast three shadow zones: the dark Umbra (total occlusion), the wider Penumbra (partial occlusion), and the Antumbra beyond the umbral vertex where the Moon appears smaller than the Sun, yielding an Annular Eclipse.