Eclipse Calendar: Quick question, when is the next eclipse? Quick answer, the next eclipse is a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse on 5th May 2023 visible in Africa, Asia, Australia. The sight of a solar or lunar eclipse is spectacular. The shadow of Earth sweeps across the Moon, illuminating its grey surface with a blood-red hue. However, nothing can beat seeing the Moon slowly eclipse the Sun until its black disk is entirely surrounded by the ghostly white corona. In this article on the lunar and solar eclipse calendar, you will find solar and lunar eclipses in 2023.
This year’s solar eclipses will not be total or annular, but skywatchers will be able to enjoy two total lunar eclipses, the first in more than 3 years visible from North America.
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Sun and Moon eclipses can take place up to seven times a year, though the last time this happened was 1982. The fewest eclipses in a year are four.
Before we dive into this year’s striking events, let’s explore some eclipse concepts first.
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Eclipse Calendar 2023
| Date | Type | UTC of Greatest Eclipse | Saros Series | Eclipse Magnitude (Solar) &Umbral Magnitude (Lunar) | Longest Duration of Eclipse Totality or Annularity | Geographic Region of Eclipse Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 April 2023 | Hybrid Solar | 4:17:55 | 129 | 1.013 | 1 min., 15 sec. | Asia, Australia, Philippines[Hybrid: Indonesia, Australia, Papua New Guinea] |
| 05 May 2023 | Penumbral Lunar | 17:24:05 | 141 | -0.046 | – | Africa, Asia, Australia |
| 14 October 2023 | Annular Solar | 18:00:40 | 134 | 0.952 | 5 min., 17 sec. | North America, Central America, South America[Annular: United States, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Panama, Colombia, Brazil] |
| 28 October 2023 | Partial Lunar | 20:15:18 | 146 | 0.122 | 1 hour, 17 min. | Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia |
Eclipse Calendar 2024
| Date | Type | UTC of Greatest Eclipse | Saros Series | Eclipse Magnitude (Solar) &Umbral Magnitude (Lunar) | Longest Duration of Eclipse Totality or Annularity | Geographic Region of Eclipse Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 March 2024 | Penumbral Lunar | 7:13:59 | 113 | -0.132 | – | Americas |
| 08 April 2024 | Total Solar | 18:18:29 | 139 | 1.057 | 4 min., 28 sec. | North America[Total: Mexico, United States, Canada] |
| 18 September 2024 | Partial Lunar | 2:45:25 | 118 | 0.085 | 1 hour, 3 min. | Americas, Europe, Africa |
| 02 October 2024 | Annular Solar | 18:46:13 | 144 | 0.933 | 7 min., 25 sec. | South America[Annular: Chile, Argentina] |
Eclipse Calendar 2025
| Date | Type | UTC of Greatest Eclipse | Saros Series | Eclipse Magnitude (Solar) &Umbral Magnitude (Lunar) | Longest Duration of Eclipse Totality or Annularity | Geographic Region of Eclipse Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 March 2025 | Total Lunar | 6:59:56 | 123 | 1.178 | 3 hour, 38 min. | Americas, Europe, Africa |
| 29 March 2025 | Partial Solar | 10:48:36 | 149 | 0.938 | – | Africa, Europe, Asia |
| 07 September 2025 | Total Lunar | 18:12:58 | 128 | 1.362 | 3 hour, 29 min. | Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia |
| 21 September 2025 | Partial Solar | 19:43:04 | 154 | 0.855 | – | Australia, Antarctica |
Eclipse Calendar 2026
| Date | Type | UTC of Greatest Eclipse | Saros Series | Eclipse Magnitude (Solar) &Umbral Magnitude (Lunar) | Longest Duration of Eclipse Totality or Annularity | Geographic Region of Eclipse Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Feburary 2026 | Annular Solar | 12:13:05 | 121 | 0.963 | 2 min., 20 sec. | South America, Africa, Antarctica[Annular: Antarctica] |
| 03 March 2026 | Total Lunar | 11:34:52 | 133 | 1.151 | 3 hour, 27 min. | Asia, Australia, Americas |
| 12 August 2026 | Total Solar | 17:47:05 | 126 | 1.039 | 2 min., 18 sec. | North America, Africa, Europe[Total: Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Spain] |
| 28 August 2026 | Partial Lunar | 4:14:04 | 138 | 0.93 | 3 hour, 18 min. | Americas, Europe, Africa |
Why do eclipses happen?
Eclipses of the Sun occur only during new moons, when the lunar disk passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, casting its shadow somewhere on Earth.
In contrast, a lunar eclipse occurs during a full Moon, when the Moon moves into the Earth’s shadow. It happens when Sun, Earth, and Moon are exactly or very closely aligned with Earth between the other two.
Only occasionally do the Sun, Earth, and Moon line up precisely enough for an eclipse to happen, because the lunar orbit is tipped towards Earth by 5°. The technical term for this alignment is syzygy and this occurs roughly half a year apart. Since the last eclipse of 2021 occurred in early December, the first eclipse of 2022 will take place on April 30th.
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Lunar Eclipse and Its Types
Lunar eclipses may take one of three forms (total, partial, or penumbral), based on the depth of the full Moon’s plunge into or near the umbra, our planet’s dark, central shadow. When Moon goes all the way into the Earth’s shadow it results in Total Lunar Ecplise, which is preceded and followed by Total Lunar Eclipses. It is possible to observe a lunar eclipse anywhere on Earth where the Moon is above the horizon. The primary condition is a clear sky!
Solar Eclipse and Its Types
As seen from Earth, the Moon must cross directly in front of the Sun for an annular or total solar eclipse to occur. When the Moon completely covers the Sun, it is considered a Total Solar Eclipse.
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We hope this article on the solar and lunar eclipse calendar was informative to you. It is surprising that this year’s trend will continue next year as we will be experiencing 4 eclipses in 2023 as well. The Total Solar Eclipse on 20th April 2023 will be a fascinating watch for us. The detailed Lunar and Solar Eclipse Calendar 2023 will also be updated here soon.
References –
Lunar and Solar Eclipse Calendar 2023 – FAQs
A total of 4 eclipses are scheduled to happen in 2023.
4 eclipses are expected to take place in 2024.
The first eclipse of 2023 will be a hybrid solar eclipse, it will take place on 20 April 2023.
Maximum 7 eclipses can happen in a year as visible on Earth.
Minimum 4 eclipses can happen in a year as visible on Earth.