EarthSunMoon Simulator

Visualizing the relative positions of the Sun, Moon, and Earth--and the way they interact to cause day and night, the phases of the Moon, and the seasons--can be difficult and highly abstract. A powerful visual model can really help! The EarthSunMoon Simulator is both interactive and concrete; students can make a change to the system and then see the effects of that change. For example, students can move the model to simulate the movements of the Earth and Moon around the Sun or to observe a full cycle of seasons on Earth.

Students can also adjust the settings of the Earth and Moon and see how their relationships change. For example, a student can adjust the tilt of Earth's axis from its usual 23 degrees to a fictional 90 degrees.

Students can then check the view from Earth to see how this change affects the movement of the Sun in our sky.