Eclipses
Eclipses are among the most dramatic events the sky has to offer, and they're a perfect window into the Earth-Sun-Moon system. Whether it's the Moon sliding into Earth's shadow or the Moon blocking our view of the Sun, every eclipse is a reminder that we live on a moving world in a moving solar system.
On this page, you'll find resources to help you understand the different types of eclipses (solar and lunar, total and partial), why they happen, and how to address some of the common misconceptions students bring to the topic. Whether you're brushing up before your astronomy unit or just looking for something to share with your class, there's something here for you.
earth-moon-sun
Below you'll find a few activities covering the basics of the Earth-Moon-Sun system, and we'd recommend starting here if any of those foundations are missing or need reinforcing. A solid grasp of the basics makes everything else on this page a lot smoother.
Our Looking Up! guide has additional activities worth exploring. As always, our content is designed to be flexible and adaptable, so feel free to use whatever fits your learners best, whether that means starting from the ground up or just filling in a few gaps.
UNDERSTANDING THE SUN'S LIGHT
Parts 1 & 2
Before diving into solar data, students need two key ideas: that scientific images are often taken in wavelengths invisible to the human eye, and that the colours in those images are chosen to encode information, not to reflect reality. These two optional activities build that foundation using familiar, everyday examples before turning to the Sun. If your students are already comfortable with false colour and ultraviolet imaging, you can skip ahead.
lunar eclipse activities
UNDERSTANDING THE SUN'S LIGHT
Parts 1 & 2
Before diving into solar data, students need two key ideas: that scientific images are often taken in wavelengths invisible to the human eye, and that the colours in those images are chosen to encode information, not to reflect reality. These two optional activities build that foundation using familiar, everyday examples before turning to the Sun. If your students are already comfortable with false colour and ultraviolet imaging, you can skip ahead.
DISCOVERING THE SOLAR CYCLE
Parts 3 — 5
This is the heart of the guide. Students begin by writing down what they think they already know about the Sun's surface, then load up Helioviewer, a free web-based tool that gives them access to decades of real images from NASA's solar observatories. From there, they explore on their own, comparing the Sun across different wavelengths and different years, until the 11-year pattern of activity begins to emerge from the data.
ASKING YOUR OWN QUESTIONS
Parts 6 — 8
With the solar cycle in hand, students turn their curiosity into research. They generate their own questions, learn to evaluate which ones are scientifically investigable, and then pursue an answer using Helioviewer. The activity wraps up with a class discussion, peer sharing, or written summary. For classes that want to go further, an optional extension connects the solar cycle to auroras, satellite infrastructure, climate, and other real-world phenomena.
solar eclipse activities
We’ve created ready-to-use slide decks to make sharing these themes with your students easy and engaging. Just download the Google Slides Presentation (in whichever format you prefer), then customize anything you’d like so it fits your teaching style and goals. You’ll also find a few hidden slides with extra tips, plus speaker notes to help guide your flow. The guides are there to build your confidence and understanding, while the slides are all about bringing that learning to life in your classroom.
image gallery
Here you can download all the images from the guide to use as you wish. If you're sharing something of your own, unless noted otherwise in the guide please credit Discover the Universe and link back to this webpage.
