Solar eclipses can only be seen in certain locations and require safe eyewear. Lunar eclipses are visible at night, except the dimming of the Moon’s light is barely noticeable during a penumbral eclipse.
What is a Solar Eclipse?
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking out the sunlight and casting a shadow on Earth. During a solar eclipse, day turns to night and the sky is filled with twilight.
There are three types of solar eclipses: total, partial, and annular.
Total solar eclipses happen when the Earth passes through the umbra of the Moon’s shadow, completely blocking out sunlight in a narrow area on our planet. The Moon is close enough to Earth that it blocks out all of the Sun’s light creating a total blackout in that part of the world.
Partial solar eclipses are when the Moon blocks only a portion of the Sun.
Annular eclipses occur when the Moon appears as a silhouetted figure against the Sun with a bright ring of sunlight circling it. An annular eclipse occurs when the Moon is farther away from Earth and does not completely cover the Sun.
What is a Lunar Eclipse?
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon line up perfectly, with Earth in the middle, causing the Sun to block out some or all of the sunlight reflected off the Moon.
During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon is completely within Earth’s shadow. The Moon will appear dark and reddish-orange in color, due to the sunlight being refracted by Earth’s atmosphere.
During a partial or penumbral lunar eclipse, only part of the Moon is within Earth’s shadow, appearing dimmer than usual.
In 2023, there will be four eclipses: two solar and two lunar. All times are in EST.
April 20, 2023
Annular total eclipse of the Sun will be visible from the Indian Ocean, Australasia and south Pacific Ocean.
The eclipse begins at 8:34 p.m., April 19, and ends at 1:59 a.m., April 20.
May 5, 2023
Penumbral eclipse of the Moon will be visible from east Africa, Asia and Australia
The eclipse starts at 10:12 a.m. The eclipse is over at 2:34 p.m.
October 14, 2023
Annular Eclipse of the Sun will be visible from North America, Central America and South America.
The eclipse begins at 10:04 a.m. The eclipse is over by 3:55 p.m.
This is the last annular solar eclipse that will be visible from the United States until June 21, 2039. Alaska is the only U.S. state in the path for that eclipse.
A partial solar eclipse will be visible in all 48 contiguous U.S. states plus Alaska.
October 28, 2023
Partial Eclipse of the Moon will be visible from Africa, Europe and Asia.
The penumbral phase starts at 1 p.m., the partial phase starts at 2:35 p.m., partial phase ends at 4:54 p.m., and the eclipse is over by 5:28 p.m.
View the Naturalist’s Guide Celestial Calendar for iCal for lunar dates, moon names, meteor showers, comets, and more celestial events here✨
