Eclipses 2028: 2 solar and 3 lunar
2028 has 5 eclipses: 2 of the Sun and 3 of the moon. The first is the partial lunar eclipse of Wednesday, 12 January 2028 and the last falls on 31 December 2028. 2 of the 5 are total.
When is the next eclipse?
The next eclipse of 2028 is a partial lunar eclipse on Wednesday, 12 January 2028, 476 days away. In a partial lunar eclipse, only part of the disc is covered, and the effect is easy to miss without a filter. 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 2028?
5 in total: 2 solar and 3 lunar. A calendar year always carries at least four and can carry as many as seven, so 2028 sits in the middle of that range. The spread of types in 2028 is partial, annular, total.
| Date | Weekday | Kind | Type | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 January 2028 | Wednesday | Lunar | Partial | only part of the disc is covered, and the effect is easy to miss without a filter |
| 26 January 2028 | Wednesday | Solar | Annular | the moon is too far from Earth to cover the Sun completely, leaving a bright ring |
| 6 July 2028 | Thursday | Lunar | Partial | only part of the disc is covered, and the effect is easy to miss without a filter |
| 22 July 2028 | Saturday | Solar | Total | the moon covers the Sun completely and the sky goes dark along a narrow track |
| 31 December 2028 | Sunday | Lunar | Total | the moon covers the Sun completely and the sky goes dark along a narrow track |
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 2028 eclipse with the phase instant computed independently on the moon phases page.
| Eclipse date | Kind | Required phase | Phase instant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 January 2028 | Lunar | Full Moon | 12 January 2028 at 04:02 UTC |
| 26 January 2028 | Solar | New Moon | 26 January 2028 at 15:12 UTC |
| 6 July 2028 | Lunar | Full Moon | 6 July 2028 at 18:10 UTC |
| 22 July 2028 | Solar | New Moon | 22 July 2028 at 03:01 UTC |
| 31 December 2028 | Lunar | Full Moon | 31 December 2028 at 16:48 UTC |
Where will the 2028 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 2028?
- 5: 2 solar and 3 lunar.
- When is the first eclipse of 2028?
- Wednesday, 12 January 2028, a partial lunar eclipse.
- Is there a total solar eclipse in 2028?
- Yes, on 22 July 2028.
- 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 2028
Day of the year · Event countdowns · When is it? · Date calculator