When is the next solar eclipse?

next solar eclipse will be a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. View of solar corona during total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017
Total solar eclipse from Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon, U.S. (Image credit: Paul Souders via Getty Images)

When is the next solar eclipse?

The next solar eclipse will be a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, and will be visible from Mexico, 14 U.S. states and southeastern Canada.

Exactly six years, seven months and 18 days after the same type of solar eclipse crossed the U.S. from Oregon through South Carolina on August 21, 2017, the total solar eclipse will be visible to millions of people.  

To find out more about the total eclipse on April 8 check out our guide

To keep up to date on all our solar eclipse coverage head on over to our solar eclipse live updates page.

Related: Lunar eclipses 2023: When, where & how to see them

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon is positioned between Earth and the sun and casts a shadow over Earth. They can only occur during the phase of the new moon and make for an interesting skywatching target. 

Is there a solar eclipse today?

There is no solar eclipse being observed today. The next solar eclipse will occur on April 8, 2024.

Types of solar eclipse

There are four types of solar eclipses depending on how the sun, moon and Earth are aligned at the time of the event. A solar eclipse always occurs about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse.  

  1. Total solar eclipse: The sun is fully obscured by the moon. 
  2. Partial solar eclipse: The moon doesn't fully block the sun so only a portion of the sun is obscured. Here the moon appears to take a "bite" out of the sun.
  3. Annular solar eclipse: The moon is centered in front of the sun but doesn't cover the entirety of the surface (as seen in a total solar eclipse). A "ring of fire" shines around the moon. 
  4. Hybrid solar eclipse: The rarest solar eclipse is a combination of a total and annular eclipse (sometimes known as an A-T eclipse) and is produced when the moon's shadow moves across Earth. These begin as one type of eclipse and transition to another. 

According to the educational website SpaceEdge Academy, 28% of solar eclipses are total, 35% are partial, 32% are annular and only 5% are hybrid.  

Upcoming solar eclipses

Total solar eclipse: April 8, 2024

On April 8, a total solar eclipse will sweep across the Americas. (Image credit: A.T.Sinclair/NASA)

A total solar eclipse will darken the skies over Mexico, the U.S. and Canada on April 8, 2024. 

It comes just six months after the impressive annular solar eclipse which swept across eight states in the U.S. Southwest as well as Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Brazil. 

Related: Annular solar eclipse of 2023 wows skywatchers with spectacular 'ring of fire' (photos, video)

During the total solar eclipse, the moon will cover 100% of the sun's disk as viewed from the narrow path of totality that stretches from Sinaloa, Mexico through the U.S. to Newfoundland, Canada. Those just outside the path will experience a partial solar eclipse where the moon appears to take a "bite" out of the sun.  You can see the path of the total solar eclipse in this interactive map created by French eclipse expert Xavier Jubier.

Related: Watch the moon's shadow travel across North America during 2024's total solar eclipse (video)

Annular solar eclipse: Oct.2 2024

On Oct. 2, 2024 an annular solar eclipse will sweep across South America. (Image credit: A.T.Sinclair/NASA)

The second solar eclipse of 2024 will be an annular "ring of fire" solar eclipse visible in South America.

To be able to see all the phases of the eclipse including the famous "ring of fire" you must be located somewhere along the path of annularity which cuts through Argentina and Chile. Observers situated close to but outside the path of annularity will see a partial solar eclipse where the moon appears to take a "bite" out of the sun. 

If you want to see a detailed view of the annular eclipse's path on Oct. 2, French eclipse expert Xavier Jubier has created an informative interactive map.

An annular eclipse occurs when the moon appears between the sun and Earth at its farthest point from the Earth — known as apogee. As the moon is farther away it appears smaller and does not completely cover the sun, it doesn't produce a total eclipse. Instead, a thin sun band is visible around the moon, creating the infamous "ring of fire" effect in the sky. 

Remember, NEVER look at the sun without adequate protection. Our how to observe the sun safely guide tells you everything you need to know about safe solar observations. The guide also informs you on what solar targets you can look out for and the equipment needed to do so. 

Solar eclipse FAQs answered by an expert

We asked Jamie Carter, Editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com and author of The Complete Guide To The Great North American Eclipse of April 8, 2024 some frequently asked questions about solar eclipses. 

Related: What's the difference between a total solar eclipse and an annular solar eclipse?

Jamie Carter
Jamie Carter

Are solar eclipses dangerous?

Partial solar eclipses are dangerous to look at and require solar eclipse glasses. Binoculars, telescopes and cameras need to have solar filters. However, if it’s a total solar eclipse, during the brief period of totality — when all of the Sun is blocked and it gets dark — it's perfectly safe to remove eye protection. 

In fact, you must remove eye protection during totality to see the sun's corona! Nothing is sadder than seeing someone wear eclipse glasses during totality, though either side of totality is a partial solar eclipse, during which extreme care must be taken. There's no need to panic about this because it's very easy to tell when it's safe; you will know when totality is imminent, and when it gets dark it's safe to remove eclipse glasses. 

What's the best way to see a solar eclipse?

The best way to see a solar eclipse is to wait for a total solar eclipse and travel to a location within the narrow path of totality that has the greatest chance of a clear sky. Totality is a spine-tingling, indescribable feeling that must be experienced at least once, but it can take significant effort, organization and funds to do. 

Are solar eclipses rare?

Solar eclipses are not rare. In fact, they happen between two and five times each year. 

However, most are partial solar eclipses, which very few make any effort to see. Total solar eclipses — in which all of the sun is blocked by the Moon — happen only once per year and occur in geographically very narrow corridors called a path of totality. These are the events eclipse-chasers travel to experience. In some years they total solar eclipses don't occur at all, so on average they happen every 18 months or so. On average, a total solar eclipse occurs on any one location on Earth every 375 years — southern Illinois experienced totality on August 21, 2017 and will again on April 8, 2024

Future solar eclipses

The next time Earth will witness a total solar eclipse is April 8, 2024, and has been dubbed "The Great North American Eclipse" as it will be visible throughout North and Central America. It will start in Mexico, cross into Texas then head northeast into the Ohio River Valley, upstate New York, Quebec, Canada and New England, finally exiting the continent through the Canadian Maritimes. 

The maximum duration of totality will last as long as 4 minutes and 26 seconds (over southwest Texas). That's 135 seconds longer than the US average and 40 percent longer than the maximum duration of the 2017 eclipse

The "Great North American Eclipse" isn't the only solar eclipse to look forward to, here is a list of upcoming solar eclipses according to NASA.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Future solar eclipses
YearDateType of solar eclipseVisible locations
2023April 20Hybrid SE Asia, E. Indies, Australia, Philippines. New Zealand. Hybrid: Indonesia, Australia, Papua New Guinea
2023Oct. 14AnnularN America, C. America, S. America
2024April 8TotalN. America and C. America
2024Oct. 02AnnularPacific, S. America
2025Mar. 29PartialNW Africa, Europe, N Russia
2025Sept. 21PartialS. Pacific, New Zealand, Antarctica
2026Feb. 17AnnularS. Argentina, Chile, S. Africa, Antarctica
2026Aug. 12TotalN. America, W. Africa, Europe

How to view the sun safely

NEVER look at the sun with binoculars, a telescope or your unaided eye without special protection. Astrophotographers and astronomers use special filters to safely observe the sun during solar eclipses or other sun phenomena. Here's our guide on how to observe the sun safely

To safely observe the sun or watch an eclipse, you need special protective eyewear or eclipse glasses. Basic sunglasses, even those with UV protection, will not sufficiently protect your eyes. If you're planning to document the eclipse with any photo equipment, there are special solar filters you can add to make sure the remaining ring of sunlight doesn't take a toll on your vision. 

The safest way to observe an eclipse is indirectly by using a pinhole camera that you can make easily at home. 

If you must document one of these events, a simple, wide-angle snap should capture the moment, even if you're using your smartphone camera. 

Editor's Note: If you snap an amazing solar eclipse photo and would like to share it with Space.com's readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook

Additional resources

Want to look further ahead? You can find a concise summary of solar eclipses through to 2030 on NASA's eclipse website. Read more about solar and lunar eclipses on Eclipse Wise — a website dedicated to predictions of eclipses. Learn about eclipses on other planets with this short article from Cornell University's astronomy department.  

Bibliography

April 20 hybrid eclipse. Timeanddate. Retrieved October 27 from https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2023-april-20

October 14 annular eclipse. Timeanddate. Retrieved October 27 from https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2023-october-14

October 14 annular eclipse. NASA. Retrieved October 27 from https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/2023/oct-14-annular/overview/

Fred Espenak. Solar eclipses 2021-2030. NASA. Retrieved October 27 from https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEdecade/SEdecade2021.html 

Konstantin Bikos. What is a hybrid solar eclipse? Timeanddate. Retrieved October 27 from https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/hybrid-solar-eclipse.html

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Daisy Dobrijevic
Reference Editor

Daisy Dobrijevic joined Space.com in February 2022 having previously worked for our sister publication All About Space magazine as a staff writer. Before joining us, Daisy completed an editorial internship with the BBC Sky at Night Magazine and worked at the National Space Centre in Leicester, U.K., where she enjoyed communicating space science to the public. In 2021, Daisy completed a PhD in plant physiology and also holds a Master's in Environmental Science, she is currently based in Nottingham, U.K. Daisy is passionate about all things space, with a penchant for solar activity and space weather. She has a strong interest in astrotourism and loves nothing more than a good northern lights chase! 

  • rod
    "A solar eclipse occurs when the disk of the moon appears to cross in front of the disk of the sun. A total solar eclipse — like the one that crossed the U.S. on Aug. 21, 2017..."

    This was a great solar eclipse to observe. I really enjoyed using my telescope with white-light solar filer, 90-mm refractor to view the event. Solar eclipses measured in the 1880s showed the Moon is slowly receding from Earth and the Earth is slowing down too, thus the length of day is increasing. Charles Darwin's son, George Darwin noted this and developed the fission theory for the origin of the Moon.
    Reply