Eclipses and Shadows

Eclipses are powerful because they are predictable. A model that explains eclipses only after they happen is weaker than a model that predicts their timing, path and geometry in advance.

Lunar Eclipses

During a lunar eclipse, Earth passes between the Sun and Moon. Earth’s shadow crosses the Moon, and that shadow is consistently round. A sphere casts a round shadow from every direction.

Solar Eclipses

During a solar eclipse, the Moon’s shadow falls on Earth. The path of totality is narrow because the Moon’s umbral shadow touches only a small part of Earth’s surface.

Prediction Is the Point

Eclipses can be predicted years in advance using orbital geometry. This includes exact timing, where totality will be visible, how long it will last and what partial phases nearby locations will see.

Common Flat-Earth Problem

Flat-earth explanations often invoke hidden bodies, projection effects or vague shadow objects. The problem is not merely explaining one eclipse; it is predicting all eclipses with the same geometry.