How often does a solar eclipse occur in north america?

It is a popular misconception that the phenomenon of a total eclipse of the sun is a rare occurrence. Quite the contrary. Approximately once every 18 months (on average) a total solar eclipse is visible from some place on the Earth's surface. That's two totalities for every three years. read more

How Often Do Solar and Lunar Eclipses Occur. Most years have 4 eclipses, which is the minimum number of eclipses that take place in a year; 2 of these 4 eclipses are always solar eclipses. While rare, the maximum number of eclipses that can take place in a calendar year is 7. There are 2 or 3 eclipses during every eclipse season. read more

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

Maps of Solar Eclipses in North America The following maps show the path of every total or annular solar eclipse visible from North America during the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. The maps are broken down into 50 year periods and are organized by eclipse type (total or annular). read more