Objective:

To demonstrate a solar eclipse.

Standards:

Objects in the Sky (sky object properties, locations, and movements) and Earth in the Solar System (position, properties of sun, earth, and its moon; predictable motions explain day, year, moon phases and eclipses).

Materials:

coin and a large stationary object outside or across the classroom.

Procedure:

Close one eye and look at the object with your open eye.

Hold the coin at arm’s length in front of your open eye.

Slowly move the coin closer towards your open eye, until it is directly in front of your eye.

Science behind It:

As the coin is brought closer to your eye, less of the object is visible until it is completely blocked by the coin. This demo accurately simulates a solar eclipse. The coin represents the moon and the object represents the sun. Both the coin and the moon are capable of blocking out light when they are close to the observer. As the moon passes between the sun and Earth during its orbit, it blocks out light from the sun just as the coin blocks your view of the stationary object. The moon orbits the Earth about once a month but does not always cause a solar eclipse. Because the moon does not orbit the Earth at the equator and the Earth’s axis is tilted, the direct shadow of the moon misses the surface of the Earth most of the time.