Solar eclipses

This catalogue covers past and upcoming solar eclipses, whether total, annular, partial or hybrid. Each eclipse page summarises its key features and provides access to an interactive map — with local times and a phase animation — to explore visibility from a chosen observation site.

During a total eclipse, the Moon completely covers the Sun for a short time within an area known as the path of totality. During an annular eclipse, the Moon does not completely cover the Sun, leaving a bright ring visible. During a partial eclipse, only part of the solar disc is obscured. A hybrid eclipse can appear total or annular depending on the observation location.

The maximum duration is the longest period of totality or annularity anywhere along the eclipse path. It is not necessarily the duration visible from a particular country or city. The point of maximum duration may even lie over the open ocean or in a hard-to-reach region. The actual duration depends on the observation location.

The visibility area differs for each eclipse. An eclipse may be visible from several countries, while totality or annularity is confined to a relatively narrow path. Each eclipse page lists the main regions affected. The interactive map then lets you check the viewing conditions for a specific location.

Each eclipse has an interactive map. Search for a city, enter coordinates, use your current location, or select a point directly on the map. The simulator then calculates the eclipse phases, their local times, maximum obscuration and, when applicable, the local duration of totality or annularity. An animation also shows how the eclipse unfolds at that location.

Yes. The catalogue also includes past eclipses. Their interactive maps — with phase times, obscuration and an animation — recreate what an observer would have experienced at a specific location. Together, they form an archive that lets you reconstruct an eclipse from anywhere within its visibility area.

Never look directly at the Sun without suitable protection, even when most of it is obscured. Certified eclipse glasses are essential during partial and annular phases. During a total eclipse, naked-eye viewing is safe only during the very brief period of totality, when the Sun is completely covered; put your eclipse glasses back on as soon as the Sun begins to reappear.