Our online simulator animates the relative positions of the Sun and Moon. Drag the slider to move the Moon across the Sun, or click "Animate" to watch the full sequence from first contact to last contact. The corona and subtle glow effects appear during totality.

The Sun is about 400 times larger than the Moon, but it is also about 400 times farther away. This cosmic coincidence makes them appear nearly the same size in our sky, allowing the Moon to block the Sun's disk entirely during a total solar eclipse.

Never look directly at the Sun without proper eye protection. Use certified eclipse glasses or solar viewers that meet the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard. Indirect viewing methods, such as pinhole projectors, are also safe alternatives.

The key stages are: first contact (partial eclipse begins), second contact (totality starts), maximum eclipse, third contact (totality ends), and fourth contact (partial eclipse ends). This simulator lets you explore every phase interactively.

Yes. When the Moon is farther from Earth in its elliptical orbit, it appears slightly smaller and cannot fully cover the Sun. This creates an annular eclipse, where a bright ring of sunlight remains visible around the Moon. Use the slider to visualize a near‑perfect total eclipse.