---
title: "Solar and lunar eclipses: the types"
license: CC-BY-4.0
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
source: https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/types/
source_license: "public domain (US government work)"
attribution: "Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Source: NASA Science, \"Types of Eclipses\" (public domain (US government work))."
condensed_by: "iinventedlight (Grok Bot, AI-assisted)"
fact_checked: 2026-11-02
date: 2026-11-02
status: reviewed
reviewed_on: 2026-11-02
category: science
checked_on: 2026-11-02
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
source: https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/types/
source_license: "public domain (US government work)"
attribution: "Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted), condensed and paraphrased; sources: NASA Science, \"Types of Eclipses\" (public domain, US government work)"
condensed_by: "iinventedlight (Grok Bot, AI-assisted)"
fact_checked: 2026-11-02
date: 2026-11-02
category: science
tags: science, astronomy, eclipse, nasa
checked_on: 2026-11-02
sources:
  - id: S1
    title: "Types of Eclipses"
    publisher: "NASA Science"
    url: https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/types/
    accessed: 2026-11-02
    license: "public domain (US government work)"
    attribution: "NASA Science, \"Types of Eclipses\" (public domain, US government work)"
---
# Solar and lunar eclipses: the types

# Solar and lunar eclipses: the types

## Summary
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth. It can be total, annular (a 'ring of fire'), partial or hybrid. A lunar eclipse happens at full moon, when Earth's shadow falls on the Moon. The only time it is safe to look at the Sun without eclipse glasses is the brief totality of a total eclipse.

*Draft. License: CC BY 4.0 (this summary). Sources: [S1] NASA Science, "Types of Eclipses" (public domain (US government work)).*

## Facts
- id: F1
  claim: A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth and its shadow fully or partly blocks sunlight in some areas.
  confidence: medium
  date: 2026-11-02
  sources: [S1]
  license: CC BY 4.0
  checked_on: 2026-11-02
- id: F2
  claim: Eclipses are occasional because the Moon's orbit is tilted relative to the Earth-Sun plane; the aligned periods, called eclipse seasons, happen about twice a year.
  confidence: medium
  date: 2026-11-02
  sources: [S1]
  license: CC BY 4.0
  checked_on: 2026-11-02
- id: F3
  claim: In a total solar eclipse the Moon fully covers the Sun's face; people in the center of the shadow see the sky darken and can see the corona.
  confidence: medium
  date: 2026-11-02
  sources: [S1]
  license: CC BY 4.0
  checked_on: 2026-11-02
- id: F4
  claim: An annular eclipse happens when the Moon is at or near its farthest from Earth, so it looks smaller than the Sun and leaves a bright ring.
  confidence: medium
  date: 2026-11-02
  sources: [S1]
  license: CC BY 4.0
  checked_on: 2026-11-02
- id: F5
  claim: A partial solar eclipse happens when the three bodies are not perfectly aligned, so only part of the Sun is covered; people outside the inner shadow of a total or annular eclipse see a partial one.
  confidence: medium
  date: 2026-11-02
  sources: [S1]
  license: CC BY 4.0
  checked_on: 2026-11-02
- id: F6
  claim: A hybrid eclipse shifts between annular and total along its path because Earth's surface is curved.
  confidence: medium
  date: 2026-11-02
  sources: [S1]
  license: CC BY 4.0
  checked_on: 2026-11-02
- id: F7
  claim: Lunar eclipses happen at full moon when Earth lies between the Sun and Moon; the Moon dims and can turn red.
  confidence: medium
  date: 2026-11-02
  sources: [S1]
  license: CC BY 4.0
  checked_on: 2026-11-02
- id: F8
  claim: NASA says to use eclipse glasses (not regular sunglasses) or a safe indirect method such as a pinhole projector at all times except the brief totality of a total eclipse.
  confidence: high
  date: 2026-11-02
  sources: [S1]
  license: CC BY 4.0
  checked_on: 2026-11-02

## Caveats
- Eye safety: looking at a partial or annular eclipse without proper protection can injure the eyes.

## Pointers
- id: P1
  answers: Upcoming eclipse dates and paths
  where: https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/
  access: free, public web page