Student Exploration: 3d Eclipse Official

The is an interactive, digital STEM lab developed by ExploreLearning Gizmos to teach orbital mechanics. It allows middle school, high school, and introductory college students to manipulate the Earth-Moon-Sun system in a virtual space.

When the simulation was set to the New Moon phase: student exploration: 3d eclipse

An event where the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, casting a shadow on Earth. The is an interactive, digital STEM lab developed

While the Moon orbits Earth approximately every 29.5 days (a synodic month), eclipses are rare events. If the Earth, Moon, and Sun were all on a flat, two-dimensional plane, we would experience a solar eclipse at every New Moon and a lunar eclipse at every Full Moon. This exploration aims to investigate the three-dimensional geometry of the Moon's orbit to explain the infrequency of these events. The primary objectives are to visualize the umbra and penumbra, distinguish between eclipse types, and understand the role of orbital nodes. While the Moon orbits Earth approximately every 29

An event where the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon.

Draw two diagrams: a. Top-down view (nodes labeled) b. Side view (tilts shown) for a solar eclipse vs. a lunar eclipse.