How to Make a Solar Eclipse Model Using Clay
Less common than the lunar eclipse, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, hiding the sun from the Earth's view. A solar eclipse can occur in varying degrees. A complete solar eclipse is rare and happens about once every 370 years, according to Astronomy for Kids. Other degrees of solar eclipse happen more frequently -- some as often as once a year. To help illustrate the way a solar eclipse works, create a model using some objects you have around your home.
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Instructions
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Roll a ball of clay that is approximately one-fourth the size of the orange. This size difference provides a fairly accurate representation of the size difference between the Earth and the moon. The ball of clay represents the moon, while the orange represents the Earth.
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Place the ball of clay onto the table. Measure 8 inches and place the orange on the table at this point.
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Measure 2 feet away from the clay ball so the orange is directly behind the clay ball. Stand at the 2-foot mark and shine the flashlight at table level toward the clay ball. The flashlight represents the sun.
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Note the portion of the orange that is covered by shadow. The size of the shadow represents the coverage of a solar eclipse.
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Tips & Warnings
If you would like to see the experiment from another perspective, either ask someone else to hold the flashlight while you look from behind the orange or lay the flashlight on another table of the same height.
References
- Photo Credit Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
