Scale-accurate solar eclipse: umbra and penumbra

An interactive, scale-accurate model of the Sun–Moon–Earth eclipse geometry: umbra and penumbra, built from the real relative sizes and distances. Drag to pan, use the buttons or the zoom slider to explore.

Scale-accurate construction of umbra and penumbra Geometric construction where Earth is exactly one centimeter in diameter. The background is pale yellow, showing that sunlight fills all the surrounding space. Where the Moon blocks the Sun completely, an almost black umbra forms, with a much lighter yellow-gray penumbra around it. The diagram can be panned and zoomed.
The yellow is sunlight. Space is usually drawn black, but here it's shown lit, since sunlight actually fills it except where something blocks it.
Apparent view from this point
View width (Earth = 1 cm):