Solar and Lunar Eclipses in 2024: Dates and Details

 

2024's Celestial Show: Solar and Lunar Eclipses to Watch Out For

This year, while there won't be any total lunar eclipses, sky gazers can still get excited about two significant solar eclipses, including a highly anticipated total eclipse that will sweep across the United States from Texas to New England.

Typically, up to seven eclipses of the Sun and Moon can occur in a single year, but the last time that happened was in 1982, and the fewest possible is four. In 2024, we'll experience the minimum of four. There will be a total solar eclipse in April (which will cross North America) and an annular solar eclipse in October. However, 2024's two lunar eclipses will be hardly noticeable, following a pattern similar to 2023.

A solar eclipse occurs only during a new Moon when the lunar disk passes directly between us and the Sun, casting the Moon's shadow somewhere on Earth's surface. Conversely, a lunar eclipse happens during a full Moon when our satellite passes through Earth's shadow.

These alignments don't occur at every new and full Moon due to the lunar orbit being tilted about 5° to Earth's orbital plane. This means that the Sun, Earth, and Moon align exactly only occasionally for an eclipse to occur. (The technical term for this alignment is "syzygy.") These alignments occur roughly six months apart. So, since the last eclipse of 2023 occurred in mid-October, the first eclipse of 2024 won't take place until April 8th.

Lunar Eclipses

Three types of lunar eclipses are possible: total, partial, and penumbral, depending on how deeply the full Moon enters or nears Earth's dark, central shadow (umbra).

If the Moon enters the umbra completely, we see a total lunar eclipse, which is preceded and followed by partial phases. This was the case during the widely viewed event in September 2015, which marked the conclusion of a series of four consecutive total lunar eclipses.

If the Moon partially enters the umbra, only partial phases occur, with some parts of the Moon in nearly full sunlight and others steeped in the deep, red-tinged umbral shadow.

If the Moon's disk passes just outside the umbra, it still encounters the weak penumbral shadow cast by Earth. This results in one side of the full Moon's disk appearing slightly dusky. All four of 2020's lunar eclipses were of the penumbral variety.

Thankfully, people can observe every lunar eclipse from any location on Earth where the Moon is visible above the horizon. However, clear skies are essential for viewing.

Solar Eclipses

Annular and total solar eclipses occur when the Moon crosses directly in front of the Sun as seen from Earth. Such "central" solar eclipses can only occur within a two-week interval when the Moon crosses the ecliptic during one of its two nodal crossings each year. However, the window for partial solar eclipses is wider, roughly five weeks long.

If the Moon completely covers the Sun, the eclipse is total, with the Sun's ghostly white outer atmosphere, called the corona, momentarily revealed.

Occasionally, the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun but doesn't completely cover it, usually because the Moon is farther from Earth than its average distance. This circumstance is known as an annular eclipse, during which a ring of sunlight surrounds the lunar disk.

Unlike total lunar eclipses, which can be viewed from roughly half of Earth's surface, total and annular solar eclipses are visible from a narrower path on Earth's surface. A completely eclipsed Sun can be viewed only from a narrow track that's typically just 100 miles wide.

The Four Eclipses of 2024

Here are brief descriptions of the four eclipses that will occur in 2024:

March 25: Penumbral Lunar Eclipse - This event will be visible from North and South America.

April 8: Total Solar Eclipse - A total solar eclipse will occur, lasting up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds, and will be visible from North America.

September 18: Partial Lunar Eclipse - This eclipse will be visible from North and South America, Europe, and Africa.

October 2: Annular Solar Eclipse - An annular solar eclipse will occur over the South Pacific Ocean and South America.

Looking Ahead to 2025

In 2025, there will be two total lunar eclipses visible in the Americas and two partial solar eclipses not visible from North America.

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