We often see so many `figures’ an `diagrams’ in science and technical books or websites.. But not many people actually try to explain what we see and why we see it that way. So I have created this graphics to show the orbits of Earth around the Sun, and the orbit of moon around Earth (us)..
This clearly shows positions of the Moon around the Earth, what those positions of Moon mean in terms of Lunar phases (new moon, first quarter, full moon, last quarter) etc. This is a `view from space’ – if you like.
But in this graphics, I have tried to also show -in the 2 `box screens’ – what the flat-image will be of the Solar eclipse. Same for the lunar eclipse – except, you are looking at the back of the `screen’ in this graphics. From Earth, we’ll see the front of the `screen’ and that will be a reverse of the image.
Just take a few minutes to look at this graphics, put your finger on each object (Sun, Moon, earth) and move it in the orbit.. to get a feel of it. That may help you work out what happens and what we see from Earth.
enjoy.
-Mani
QuantumPhoenix 
Great illustrations in 3D.. easily understandable when you present it like that.. esp when I try and visualize this ..it is now easier for me 🙂 Ta xxx