Eclipses 2024: 2 solar and 2 lunar
2024 has 4 eclipses: 2 of the Sun and 2 of the moon. The first is the penumbral lunar eclipse of Monday, 25 March 2024 and the last falls on 2 October 2024. 1 of the 4 is total.
When is the next eclipse?
All 4 eclipses of 2024 have passed. The last was a annular solar eclipse on Wednesday, 2 October 2024. Eclipses come in pairs about two weeks apart, because a solar eclipse at new moon and a lunar eclipse at the following or preceding full moon share the same alignment of the moon's orbit with the Earth and Sun.
How many eclipses are there in 2024?
4 in total: 2 solar and 2 lunar. A calendar year always carries at least four and can carry as many as seven, so 2024 sits at the quiet end of that range. The spread of types in 2024 is penumbral, total, partial, annular.
| Date | Weekday | Kind | Type | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 March 2024 | Monday | Lunar | Penumbral | the moon passes through the outer shadow only and dims slightly rather than darkening |
| 8 April 2024 | Monday | Solar | Total | the moon covers the Sun completely and the sky goes dark along a narrow track |
| 18 September 2024 | Wednesday | Lunar | Partial | only part of the disc is covered, and the effect is easy to miss without a filter |
| 2 October 2024 | Wednesday | Solar | Annular | the moon is too far from Earth to cover the Sun completely, leaving a bright ring |
Why every eclipse lands on a new or full moon
A solar eclipse needs the moon between Earth and Sun, which is the definition of new moon. A lunar eclipse needs the Earth between Sun and moon, which is full moon. The reason there is not an eclipse every month is that the moon's orbit is tilted by about five degrees, so most new and full moons pass above or below the shadow. Only when a new or full moon coincides with the moon crossing the plane of Earth's orbit does an eclipse follow. The table below pairs each 2024 eclipse with the phase instant computed independently on the moon phases page.
| Eclipse date | Kind | Required phase | Phase instant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 March 2024 | Lunar | Full Moon | 25 March 2024 at 07:00 UTC |
| 8 April 2024 | Solar | New Moon | 8 April 2024 at 18:20 UTC |
| 18 September 2024 | Lunar | Full Moon | 18 September 2024 at 02:34 UTC |
| 2 October 2024 | Solar | New Moon | 2 October 2024 at 18:49 UTC |
Where will the 2024 eclipses be visible?
This page gives dates and types, not tracks. Visibility depends on where the shadow falls, and the answer differs for every eclipse: a total solar eclipse is total only inside a path a couple of hundred kilometres wide, while the surrounding partial phase covers a far larger area. Lunar eclipses are easier, because anyone on the night side of the Earth at the time can see one without equipment. For the exact path of any eclipse listed here, work from the published circumstances rather than from a date alone.
Never look at a partially eclipsed Sun without a proper solar filter. The only safe moment for the unaided eye is totality itself, inside the narrow track, and even then only for as long as it lasts.
Questions
- How many eclipses are there in 2024?
- 4: 2 solar and 2 lunar.
- When is the first eclipse of 2024?
- Monday, 25 March 2024, a penumbral lunar eclipse.
- Is there a total solar eclipse in 2024?
- Yes, on 8 April 2024.
- Can I see all of these?
- No. Each eclipse is visible only from part of the Earth, and a total solar eclipse only from a narrow track.
Eclipses in other years
More for 2024
Day of the year · Event countdowns · When is it? · Date calculator