Your Ultimate Guide to Solar Eclipses

Ever wonder what causes a solar eclipse or how often they occur? Here is everything you need to know about these awe inspiring events.

By LeeAundra Temescu
Jul 30, 2009 12:00 AMApr 18, 2024 7:33 PM
solar eclipse
(Credit: IgorZh/Shutterstock)

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Thousands of years ago, before Johannes Kepler more closely described an eclipse, people would watch in shock and awe as a dark object slowly moved across the sun or moon and, in some cases, blocked out their light entirely. According to NASA, many ancient civilizations kept records of eclipses. Some even believed that the sun seemed to be swallowed. 

Back then, it was likely a rather heart-stopping sight to behold. While we now better understand eclipses, they are still a wondrous phenomenon that makes us stop and look up. The next significant solar eclipse will be an annular eclipse on October 2, 2024. With it not that far away, here is everything you need to know about solar eclipses to get you ready.

What Is a Solar Eclipse?

A solar eclipse is a celestial phenomenon where the sun, Earth, and the moon line up. This can come as a total, annular, partial, or hybrid eclipse. 

What Causes a Solar Eclipse?

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