Eclipses of the Sun and Moon
The sun and the moon have normal, predictable, everyday lives. Each day like clockwork they rise, they shine, and they set. The moon also has a monthly habit of gradually changing its shape a little bit from day to day, waxing and waning and waxing and waning in a regular monthly rhythm. But every once in a while, something extraordinary happens. On special occasions, the sun or the moon can be erased from the sky for a couple of hours. Sometimes only part of it disappears, and sometimes the whole thing vanishes. Whenever some or all of the sun or moon disappears, we call that an “eclipse”. (The name comes from ancient Greek roots that mean to be “left out” or “omitted”. Something that was supposed to be there isn't there.) When the sun disappears, we call that a “solar eclipse,” and when the moon disappears, we call that a “lunar eclipse.” If only part of it is missing, we say it is a “partial eclipse,” and if all of it disappears, we call that a “total eclipse”.
When you see an eclipse, what's going on? What's happening out there in outer space that causes part of the sun or moon to disappear? Is it a shadow? Is some huge dark thing in outer space coming in between us and the sun or moon, and blocking our view of it?
You don't have to trust priests of astronomy to understand eclipses. You don’t have to study cartoons and memorize diagrams prepared for you by the authorities. The first scientists in history were able to figure out eclipses more than 2000 years ago, with no telescopes, no space travel, and not even a complete map of the world. You, too, can see what's going on for yourself...if you can see the clues, and if you know what to do with them. You can figure things out for yourself...by looking, and by thinking.
Upcoming Eclipses
Spring 2026 Eclipse Season
- February 17, 2026
- There will be an annular solar eclipse on this date, but it will only be visible in Antarctica. Time and Date's Page has more information, if you're interested.
- March 2-3, 2026
- This will be a total lunar eclipse, visible across the Pacific Ocean. Most of the United States will see the eclipsed moon setting in the western skies as the sun rises in the east. Eastern Asia will see the reverse: observers there will see the eclipsed moon rising in the east at sunset. For more details, I recommend Time and Date's Page.
Fall 2026 Eclipse Season
- August 12, 2026
- This will be a total solar eclipse, visible in the far northern hemisphere. Totality will be visible in parts of Spain, Portugal, and Greenland, and a partial eclipse will be visible across much of Europe and Western Africa. A weak partial eclipse will be visible across Canada as well as the Great Lakes and East Coast regions of the United States. For details, try Time and Date's Page
- August 27-28, 2026
- This will be a partial lunar eclipse, but nearly total, and it will be widely visible across all of the Americas, Europe, and Africa. As usual, I recommend Time and Date's Page for more information.