Solar Eclipse Diagram Labeled

Who blocks whom: the solar eclipse above, the lunar eclipse below.

Solar Eclipse Diagram Labeled

Name Date

Tap any part to read, rename or leave it out

1 2 3 4 5 6
More options

Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Sun
  2. Moon
  3. Earth
  4. Umbra
  5. Penumbra
  6. Path of totality

Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-27. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the phases of the Moon

All 6 parts on the diagram

Show the list
  1. Sun The Sun, lighting everything from the left. It is far bigger and further away than drawn.
  2. Moon In a solar eclipse the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth. In a lunar eclipse it passes into Earth's shadow and often looks red.
  3. Earth Our planet, where the Moon's shadow falls in a solar eclipse. In a lunar eclipse it casts the shadow.
  4. Umbra The dark central part of a shadow. The Sun is completely hidden there.
  5. Penumbra The paler outer part of a shadow. The Sun is only partly hidden in it. From there a solar eclipse looks partial.
  6. Path of totality The narrow track across Earth's surface where the Moon's umbra falls. Only there is the solar eclipse total.

How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-27. (1) Wikipedia, Solar eclipse, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse : the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth at new moon; where the umbra touches Earth's surface a total eclipse is seen, along a narrow track called the path of totality; in the penumbra a partial eclipse is seen; viewing the Sun's disk without protection, especially through optical aids, can cause irreversible eye damage. (2) Wikipedia, Lunar eclipse, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_eclipse : the Moon passes through Earth's shadow; within the umbra Earth totally shields direct sunlight, within the penumbra only partly; also called a blood moon. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-27. Own work, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

A solar eclipse diagram labeled, with a lunar eclipse below it to compare. Each part lights up in both views.

Read the full guide

Solar eclipse

The Moon passes between the Sun and Earth. Its dark umbra narrows to a small spot on Earth: along that path of totality the Sun is completely hidden. In the wider penumbra, people see only a partial eclipse.

Lunar eclipse

Now Earth is in the middle, and the Moon passes into Earth's shadow. In the umbra it is lit only faintly, and it often looks red, which is why a lunar eclipse is also called a blood moon.

  • Never look at the Sun during a solar eclipse without proper protection: it can damage your eyes permanently in a fraction of a second.

Questions and answers

What is the difference between the umbra and the penumbra?

The umbra is the dark centre of a shadow, where the Sun is completely hidden. The penumbra is the paler outer part, where it is only partly hidden.

What is the path of totality?

The narrow track across Earth where the Moon's umbra falls during a solar eclipse. Only along it is the eclipse total.

What is the difference between a solar and a lunar eclipse?

In a solar eclipse the Moon comes between the Sun and Earth and blocks the Sun. In a lunar eclipse Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon, and its shadow falls on the Moon.

More quizzes

Show 5 more

Browse Science Quizzes