Eclipse calendar 2024 to 2035: 53 eclipses
26 solar and 27 lunar eclipses across 12 years, 8 of the solar ones total. Dates and types are taken from the published catalogues rather than computed here, because a wrong eclipse date is worse than no page at all.
Eclipses by year
| Year | Solar | Lunar | Solar types | Lunar types |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eclipses 2024 | 2 | 2 | Total, Annular | Penumbral, Partial |
| Eclipses 2025 | 2 | 2 | Partial, Partial | Total, Total |
| Eclipses 2026 | 2 | 2 | Annular, Total | Total, Partial |
| Eclipses 2027 | 2 | 3 | Annular, Total | Penumbral, Penumbral, Penumbral |
| Eclipses 2028 | 2 | 3 | Annular, Total | Partial, Partial, Total |
| Eclipses 2029 | 4 | 2 | Partial, Partial, Partial, Partial | Total, Total |
| Eclipses 2030 | 2 | 2 | Annular, Total | Partial, Penumbral |
| Eclipses 2031 | 2 | 3 | Annular, Hybrid | Penumbral, Penumbral, Penumbral |
| Eclipses 2032 | 2 | 2 | Annular, Partial | Total, Total |
| Eclipses 2033 | 2 | 2 | Total, Partial | Total, Total |
| Eclipses 2034 | 2 | 2 | Total, Annular | Penumbral, Partial |
| Eclipses 2035 | 2 | 2 | Annular, Total | Penumbral, Partial |
How many eclipses are there each year?
Between four and seven, counting solar and lunar together, and the number in each year of the range above is in the table. The lower bound comes from the geometry: the moon's orbit crosses the plane of the Earth's orbit twice a year, and each crossing brings an eclipse season lasting about five weeks during which at least one solar and one lunar eclipse must occur. Seven is reached only when an extra eclipse season is squeezed into the same calendar year, which needs the first one to start in the opening days of January.
The mix of types is far less even than the count. A penumbral lunar eclipse, where the moon clips the outer shadow only, is easy to miss altogether, while a total solar eclipse at a given spot on the Earth is a once in several centuries event even though the calendar carries one every year or two somewhere on the planet.
Why does this range stop where it does?
Eclipse circumstances are not a simple periodic series. Predicting them properly needs the full lunar and solar theory plus the Besselian elements that describe where the shadow actually falls, and an approximation that is nearly right produces dates that are confidently wrong. The dates here are transcribed from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center eclipse catalogues, and the range covers only what could be checked entry by entry. Fewer correct rows beat more guessed ones.
What is the difference between a solar and a lunar eclipse?
A solar eclipse happens at new moon, when the moon passes in front of the Sun. It is visible only from the strip of Earth the shadow crosses, and looking at it without a proper filter will damage your eyes. A lunar eclipse happens at full moon, when the moon passes into the Earth's shadow. It is visible to everyone on the night side of the planet at the time, needs no equipment and is entirely safe to watch. The two kinds usually arrive in pairs about a fortnight apart, which is visible in the date columns above.
Related calendars
Day of the year · Event countdowns · When is it? · Date calculator