![]() Normally, the New Moon is invisible from Earth. For any solar eclipse to take place, it has to be around New Moon, when the Sun and Earth are aligned on opposite sides of the Moon. The Moon is near its farthest point from Earth, called apogee, so the outer edge of the Sun remains visible as a ring of sunlight.At the same time, the Moon is at (or very near) a lunar node, so the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun are aligned in a straight (or nearly straight) line.This is also the case for total solar eclipses and for the rare hybrid solar eclipses which have an annular maximum point in some locations and a total maximum point in other locations.Īstronomical terms & definitions When Do They Happen?Īnnular solar eclipses can only take place when: However, in most places and for most of the duration, an annular eclipse looks like a partial solar eclipse. If the characteristic ring of fire is visible from even just one location, the whole eclipse is called an annular solar eclipse. The name “annular” comes from the Latin word for ring, “annulus.” These eclipses are named for their darkest, or maximum, point even if it only lasts less than a second. Solar eclipses are only visible from within the area where the shadow falls, and the closer you are to the center of the shadow's path, the bigger the eclipse looks. ![]() ![]() ![]() This area changes during the eclipse because the Moon and Earth are in constant motion: Earth continuously rotates around its axis while it orbits the Sun, and the Moon orbits Earth. The Moon's shadow is not big enough to engulf the entire planet, so the shadow is always limited to a certain area (see map illustrations below). Solar eclipses happen when the New Moon casts a shadow on Earth. Business Date to Date (exclude holidays). ![]()
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