Scrub a solar eclipse as the Moon's umbra sweeps across Earth at new moon - watch the near-equal Sun and Moon angular sizes enable totality and read published umbra width and Saros figures in the panel.
Play shadow animates one umbra sweep across Earth in about 12 seconds at 1x; pause and drag the progress slider from 0 to 100 percent to inspect partial shadow, totality track, and penumbra reach.
During totality the Moon's angular size nearly matches the Sun's - about 0.52 deg versus 0.53 deg - so the umbra can cover the full solar disk along the central track. Shadow cones and distances are exaggerated for readability; the panel carries umbra widths from 100 to 270 km and the Saros repeat interval of 18 years 11 days from NASA eclipse fact sheets.
Solar Eclipse 3D Explorer
Scrub a solar eclipse as the Moon's umbra sweeps across Earth at new moon - watch the near-equal Sun and Moon angular sizes enable totality and read published umbra width and Saros figures in the panel.
Drag to orbit the view, scroll or pinch to zoom, and press Play shadow to animate one umbra sweep. Scrub the progress slider from 0 to 100 percent to pause on partial shadow, totality along the central track, or penumbra reach, and toggle the totality path on Earth's surface.
The facts panel lists Sun apparent diameter about 0.53 deg, Moon apparent diameter about 0.52 deg, umbra width from 100 to 270 km on Earth, and the Saros repeat interval of 18 years 11 days - all from NASA published eclipse fact sheets.
- Sun, Earth, and Moon aligned on one view with the Moon's penumbra and umbra cones casting toward Earth
- Play shadow animates one sweep in about 12 seconds at 1x; progress slider scrubs 0 to 100 percent
- Totality path toggle shows or hides the narrow central track where the umbra covers the full solar disk
- Panel names each eclipse phase: partial penumbra, partial umbra, and total along the central track
- Real published figures in the panel; shadow cones and distances are compressed and disclosed
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
Teachers use it to connect the Moon's shadow geometry to totality on the ground, students compare penumbra versus umbra reach on Earth, and curious readers pause mid-eclipse to read the 100 to 270 km umbra width range.
| Quantity | Published value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sun apparent diameter | about 0.53 deg | NASA eclipse fact sheets |
| Moon apparent diameter | about 0.52 deg | NASA eclipse fact sheets |
| Umbra width on Earth | 100 to 270 km | NASA eclipse fact sheets |
| Saros repeat interval | 18 years 11 days | NASA eclipse fact sheets |
Everything renders on your device with WebGL. The 3D engine loads once (about 0.7 MB) and is cached; no scene data is sent to a server.
The scene is an educational geometry visualization tuned to teach solar eclipse shadow cones and the totality track - it does not match a specific eclipse date, does not predict tonight's sky, and is not an ephemeris. Starting progress is set by the slider, not by a real eclipse calendar.
For a step-by-step walkthrough, read the Solar Eclipse 3D Explorer step-by-step guide. The Space 3D collection also includes a Lunar Eclipse 3D Explorer for Earth's shadow on the Moon at full moon and a Moon Phases 3D Explorer for everyday Sun-Earth-Moon phase geometry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Solar Eclipse 3D Explorer show?
Sun, Earth, and Moon aligned on one view while the Moon's penumbra and umbra cones sweep across Earth at new moon. The panel names each phase - partial penumbra, partial umbra, and total along the central track - and lists Sun and Moon angular sizes, umbra width from 100 to 270 km, and the Saros interval of 18 years 11 days.
How is this different from the Lunar Eclipse 3D Explorer?
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon's shadow falls on Earth at new moon. A lunar eclipse happens when Earth's shadow falls on the Moon at full moon. Solar Eclipse 3D Explorer shows the Moon's umbra track on Earth; Lunar Eclipse 3D Explorer shows Earth's penumbra and umbra dimming the full Moon with Danjon totality color.
How is this different from the Moon Phases 3D Explorer?
Moon Phases 3D Explorer scrubs a synodic month and shows how the Sun-Earth-Moon angle sets the everyday lit hemisphere and phase name. Solar Eclipse 3D Explorer is the shadow-cone lesson at new moon - the Moon's umbra and penumbra reach Earth when Sun, Earth, and Moon align near a node, enabling totality where angular sizes nearly match.
What is the totality path?
The totality path is the narrow strip on Earth's surface where the Moon's umbra covers the full solar disk. The Hide totality path / Show totality path button toggles that central track on the globe. Totality is possible because the Moon's apparent diameter (about 0.52 deg) nearly matches the Sun's (about 0.53 deg).
What real figures does the panel include?
Sun apparent diameter about 0.53 deg, Moon apparent diameter about 0.52 deg, umbra width from 100 to 270 km on Earth, and the Saros repeat interval of 18 years 11 days - all from NASA published eclipse fact sheets.
Is this an ephemeris or matched to tonight's sky?
No. The scene is an educational geometry visualization - it does not match a specific eclipse date, does not predict the next eclipse time, and is not an ephemeris. On-screen shadow cones are exaggerated for readability while the table numbers are real.