Updated: 31 October 2026

Solar eclipse diagram

This prompt makes a diagram of the Sun, Moon and Earth in a line with the Moon's shadow falling on the Earth, labelled umbra and penumbra. Check the diagram for scientific accuracy before teaching.

image-solar-eclipse-diagram — midjourney — 44 words

Clean educational diagram of a solar eclipse showing the Sun, the Moon and the Earth in a line with the Moon's shadow falling on the Earth, labelled umbra and penumbra, dark space background, bright clear colours, textbook illustration style. Colour palette: [COLOURS]. --ar 16:9

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Ask for a clean scientific style with clear alignment of Sun, Moon and Earth.

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What you will get

A clear textbook style diagram of a solar eclipse with the Sun, Moon and Earth lined up, the Moon’s shadow falling on Earth and the umbra and penumbra labelled, on a dark space background.

Why it works

A diagram works when the order is obvious, so the prompt asks for the three bodies in a line with the shadow drawn. Labelling the umbra and penumbra shows why some places see a total eclipse and others a partial one. Clean textbook style and a dark background keep the focus on the lesson.

Common mistake

The order is wrong, with Earth in the middle.

Fix: Check it: in a solar eclipse the Moon sits between the Sun and Earth. Earth in the middle is a lunar eclipse.

Also watch for

The labels are misspelled or in the wrong place. Ask for no labels and add “umbra” for the dark inner shadow and “penumbra” for the lighter outer one yourself.
Students think the sizes are real. Add a small note “not to scale”. The real distances are far too big to fit in one picture.

Try a variation: show an annular eclipse

Ask for a diagram where the Moon is farther from Earth and its shadow does not reach, leaving a ring of sunlight.

Still not right? Add this and run it again

Moon exactly between the Sun and Earth, umbra and penumbra clearly separate, a small not-to-scale note, no other labels