There are two partial solar eclipses in 2022. The first partial solar eclipse occurred on Apr. 30 and was visible from parts of South America, Antarctica, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The next partial solar eclipse will occur on Oct. 25, and will be visible over Europe, western Asia and northeast Africa.
A solar eclipse occurs when the new moon, which is otherwise invisible, makes a rare appearance by crossing in front of the sun's face, slowly creating the appearance of a "bite" taken from the sun. This continues until the moon fully or partially blocks the sun's disk.
For the first time since 2018, there will be no total or annular solar eclipse this year. The last total solar eclipse took place on Dec. 4, 2021 and was visible from Antarctica. There will be no total solar eclipse in 2022 however there are two total lunar eclipses, the first occurring on May 16, and visible across North and South America, Africa and Western Europe. The second lunar eclipse will occur on Nov. 8 and be visible across North and South America, Pacific and east Asia.
Related: The only total solar eclipse of 2021 in pictures: Amazing photos from Antarctica
A solar eclipse always occurs about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse.
You can see a complete list of the upcoming solar eclipses on NASA's eclipse website, which provides information about solar eclipses, including detailed maps of each eclipse path. Remember to start making plans for the next great American solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
Partial solar eclipse on Apr. 30
The first partial solar eclipse of 2022 swept across the southeast Pacific and southern South America.
The first location to see the partial solar eclipse begin was at 1.45 p.m. EST (18:45 UTC), the greatest point of total solar eclipse occurred at 3.41 p.m. EST (20:41 UTC) and the last location to see the partial eclipse end was at 5.37 p.m. EST (22:37 UTC) according to Time and Date.
Below is a chart with some eclipse viewing times (all local times), featuring data from Time and Date.
Related: The 1st solar eclipse of 2022 is stunning in these satellite views
| Location | Partial eclipse begins | Maximum eclipse | Partial eclipse ends | % of sun covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Williams, Chile | 4:46 p.m. | 5:57 p.m. | 6:04 p.m. | 52% |
| Santiago, Chile | 4:33 p.m. | 5:36 p.m. | 6:03 p.m. | 18% |
| Gastre, Chubut, Argentina | 5:12 p.m. | 6:21 p.m. | 6:42 p.m. | 40% |
Partial solar eclipse Oct. 25
The second partial solar eclipse of the year is viewable from Europe, western Asia and northeast Africa. From near sunrise in Iceland to near sunset in western India, the partial solar eclipse will be widely seen. Those wishing to see the moon take the biggest "bite" out of the sun's disk will have to venture some 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) to the east-northeast of Moscow in the West Siberian Plain where 82% of the sun's area will be covered, according to Sky and Telescope.
Nevertheless, there are still plenty of good partial solar eclipse viewing opportunities across Europe, the Middle East, western Asia and northeast Africa. Below is a timetable for the partial solar eclipse on Oct. 25 (all times local).
The first location to see the partial solar eclipse begin is at 3.58 a.m. EST (08:58 UTC), the greatest point of total solar eclipse occurs at 6 a.m. EST (11:00 UTC) and the last location to see the partial eclipse end is at 8:02 a.m. EST (13:02 UTC) according to Time and Date.
Below is a chart with some eclipse viewing times (all local times), featuring data from Time and Date.
| Location | Partial eclipse begins | Maximum eclipse | Partial eclipse ends | % of sun covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavik, Iceland | 8:58 a.m. | 9:46 a.m. | 10:35 a.m. | 19% |
| London, United Kingdom | 10:08 a.m. | 10:59 a.m. | 11:51 a.m. | 15% |
| Cairo, Egypt | 12 p.m. | 1:09 p.m. | 2:16 p.m. | 26% |
| Moscow, Russia | 12:24 p.m. | 1:38 p.m. | 2:51 p.m. | 63% |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates | 2:41 p.m. | 3:51 p.m. | 4:54 p.m. | 39% |
| Delhi, India | 4:29 p.m. | 5:30 p.m. | 5:42 p.m. | 44% |
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, 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.
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
- Path table for Apr. 30 partial solar eclipse. NASA
- Path table for Oct. 25 partial solar eclipse. NASA
Follow Doris Elin Urrutia on Twitter @salazar_elin. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
