What reduces the net gravitational influence of the sun?

When something blocks or weakens the pull from the sun, it makes the net gravitational influence feel less strong.

Imagine you're playing with a big ball in the middle of a room, that’s like the sun. The ball pulls your toy cars toward it, that's like gravity. Now, if another big ball comes between you and the first one, some of your toy cars might go toward the new ball instead, that’s like something blocking the sun’s pull.

That’s what happens with planets or other large objects in space. When a planet is between you and the sun, it can reduce how much the sun's gravity affects you. It’s like having a shield that says, “Part of the sun’s pull goes here, not all the way to you!”

Think of it as sunscreen for gravity! If there’s something in the way, like another planet or a big space rock, some of the sun's pull gets used up by that object. So, even though the sun is still pulling strongly, not all of its power reaches you, just like how sunscreen blocks some of the sun’s rays from reaching your skin.