By Noelle Carver – Updated March 24, 2022
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As the Moon orbits Earth, varying portions of its illuminated hemisphere become visible from our perspective. These changing views—new, first quarter, full, last quarter—are the lunar phases that have fascinated astronomers and stargazers alike. This hands‑on activity lets you recreate the Sun‑Moon‑Earth system in a shoebox, demonstrating how light and shadow produce the familiar waxing and waning crescents.
Locate a shoebox and its lid. Remove the lid and line the interior with a generous swath of black construction paper, covering the bottom, sides, and top of the lid. This creates a dark “space” for the experiment.
Cut a ~2 cm piece of black thread. Attach a small black ball (e.g., a ping‑pong ball, a 5 cm Styrofoam ball, or a black golf ball) to one end of the thread. Secure the other end to the center of the lid’s interior. The ball will hang like a miniature moon suspended above the box’s “sky.”
Place a flashlight so its bulb end rests flush against one short edge of the box. Trace the flashlight’s beam with a pencil to outline a circle. Carefully cut out the traced circle from the box. This hole will allow the light source to illuminate the interior.
With the long side of the box facing you, punch a hole about an inch from each side of the short edge. Rotate the box so the other long side faces you and repeat, creating four equally spaced observation holes.
Turn the box so the flashlight hole faces you. Punch a small hole roughly 2 inches below and slightly to the right of the main hole. This will be the central viewing point for the model.
Label the holes counter‑clockwise: starting on the left side of the long edge, assign numbers 1‑5, with the small central hole as No. 3.
Secure the flashlight in the main hole using masking tape or modeling clay, ensuring the flashlight remains turned off until ready. Seal any gaps around the flashlight to keep the interior dark.
Turn on the flashlight. Observe through each numbered hole. Each view simulates the Moon from a different Earth location, revealing the progression of lunar phases. Record your observations in a notebook.
Sketch the phases you see. If any light leaks or construction flaws are noticed, repair with additional black paper, tape, or glue to maintain darkness inside the box.
Using a flashlight inside a shoebox, a hanging black ball, and a series of small observation holes, this model demonstrates how the Sun, Moon, and Earth interact to produce lunar phases.
Use scissors with caution.
