360What is a solar eclipse, and when is the next one?
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth and casts a shadow on our planet. In a total eclipse, the Moon covers the whole Sun and day turns to twilight for a few minutes. The next total eclipses cross Spain in 2026, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in 2027, and Australia in 2028.
The Moon is about 400 times smaller than the Sun, but also about 400 times closer to us. That coincidence means that, seen from Earth, both look almost the same size in the sky.
About twice a year, the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth. If the line-up is close enough, the Moon's shadow falls on part of the Earth. People inside the darkest part of the shadow, a narrow path often only 100 to 200 km wide, see a total eclipse. People nearby see a partial eclipse, with a 'bite' taken out of the Sun.
During totality, the sky darkens, the temperature drops, birds fall quiet, and the Sun's glowing outer atmosphere, the corona, appears around the black Moon. It lasts from a few seconds to just over seven minutes.
If the Moon is slightly farther from Earth, it cannot cover the whole Sun, and a bright ring remains. This is an annular, or 'ring of fire', eclipse.
Safety matters: never look at the Sun directly, even when it is mostly covered, without certified eclipse glasses or a proper solar filter. Only during the brief moment of totality is it safe to look with the naked eye.
Upcoming total eclipses include 12 August 2026 over Spain and Iceland, 2 August 2027 across North Africa, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and 22 July 2028 across Australia and New Zealand.
Sources: NASA · Royal Museums Greenwich · Time and Date.