How Does Solar Eclipses Explained Work?

A solar eclipse happens when the Moon moves between the Earth and the Sun, blocking part or all of the Sun’s light.

Imagine you’re sitting in a sunny room with your friend holding a round cookie between you and the window. When your friend holds the cookie up, it blocks some of the sunlight coming through the window, that's like what happens during a solar eclipse!

The Moon is like your friend with the cookie, the Sun is like the window letting in light, and the Earth is like you sitting in the room.

When the Moon lines up perfectly between the Earth and the Sun, it blocks all of the Sun’s light, this is called a total solar eclipse. You might see the Sun as a dark circle with a glowing edge, like a cookie cutter shape around the Moon.

If the Moon only partly covers the Sun, it's like your friend holds the cookie so just part of the window is blocked, that's a partial solar eclipse.

Sometimes, even when the Moon isn’t perfectly lined up, you might see some interesting shadows on the ground, it’s like the sunlight is playing hide-and-seek with the Moon!