How often do solar eclipses happen?

There are between 2 and 5 solar eclipses every year. Local time and location for all eclipses between 1900 and 2199 with maps of eclipse paths and animations. read more

[How Solar Eclipses Work (Infographic)] Of course total solar eclipses do occur, because the new moon’s distance can vary between 217,730 miles (350,400 km) and 247,930 miles (399,000 km) from the Earth’s surface, on account of the moon’s elliptical orbit. read more

A total solar eclipse is visible from somewhere on Earth about every 18 months. However, many of these events can be seen only from remote locales where travel is difficult. In terms of the United States, the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse is the first to traverse the country in nearly a century. read more

In a calendar year, it’s fairly common to have two solar eclipses — some years, there can be up to five solar eclipses in one year. The total solar eclipse slated for Monday has been called a “once in a lifetime” event, which is confusing if there are indeed more than one of these events each year. read more