When is the next eclipse in the Bay Area going to occur, and what type will it be?
The next partial eclipse visible from Palo Alto will be on Monday, April 8th, 2024 from 10:13 am to 12:16 pm. The next after that will be on January 14th 2029. Unfortunately, total eclipses only occur about once every 360-410 years in a given location, so there won’t be any total or annular eclipses here this century. A total solar eclipse will occur further south, visible in Fresno, on May 3rd, 2106. The next annular eclipse nearby will be visible on February 18th 2110 from Santa Rosa.
How long do eclipses last?
Total solar eclipses can last for up to about seven and a half minutes. The longest solar eclipse between 4000 BCE and 8000 CE will occur in 2186 and last 7 minutes 26 seconds. The shortest occurred in 919 CE and lasted 9 seconds.
Can solar and lunar eclipses occur simultaneously?
No. This is because during a lunar eclipse the Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the moon. For this reason the Earth must be positioned between the moon and the sun (see illustration below).
However, solar eclipses occur when the moon blocks sunlight from reaching the Earth, meaning that the moon is positioned between the Earth and sun (in a sun-moon-Earth formation).
Notably, it is for this reason that lunar eclipses can only occur during the full moon, since it is only when the moon is across from the sun that its entire visible face is illuminated; likewise solar eclipses only occur during the new moon since when the moon is in between the sun and the Earth, none of its visible side is illuminated.
The positions of the celestial bodies required for eclipses also lead to the phenomenon that from the moon, a lunar eclipse appears as a solar eclipse with the Earth blocking the sun—hence darkening the moon—and a solar eclipse on Earth looks like an eclipse of the Earth from the moon when a portion of the Earth is darkened by the moon’s shadow (the entire Earth will never be shaded due to the moon’s relatively small size).
Photograph of the moon’s shadow on the Earth, taken from space. The shaded area is experiencing an eclipse, Wikimedia Commons
What is the safest way to view an eclipse?
Except for when the sun is completely covered during a total eclipse, it’s very dangerous to look directly at it (or its reflection) for any length of time. Even with sunglasses and especially with binoculars. Unless you want to burn out your eyes, use special glasses designed for the purpose of viewing the sun.
How many solar eclipses are there on average in any given decade?
About 24. Roughy a third of these will be total, on average. Between two and five can occur each year, though having five is quite rare and will not happen again until 2206. This is because eclipses can only occur during “eclipse seasons”, times during which the sun, Earth and moon are on the same plane, with none being higher or lower than the others. Such periods occur roughly every six months and last about 35 days, during which there will be at least one and at most two solar eclipses.
However, it is important to note that solar eclipses are only visible from a small portion of the Earth, and so any given place will see far fewer—roughly one total solar eclipse every 400 years.
Can eclipses occur during a sunset?
Yes, they can. While the entire eclipse may not be visible if the sun sets before it reaches its maximum, eclipses can occur and be observed at any time of day.
Image of a partial solar eclipse at dawn, Wikimedia Commons
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