Keep reading to see what experts have to say about eclipses in general—plus, information on 2023’s three upcoming eclipses.
What is an eclipse?
According to the NASA website, an eclipse “occurs when one heavenly body, such as a moon or planet, moves into the shadow of another heavenly body.” The two main types of eclipses are solar and then lunar. Astrophysicist and folklorist Dr. Moiya McTier is the co-host of Multitude podcasts Pale Blue Pod and host of Exolore as the well as the author of the book The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy. Dr. McTier tells Parade, “Most generally, an eclipse is when one body passes in front of another, obscuring it from view. Eclipses happen when the Earth, Sun and Moon are in special configurations with each other.”
What is an eclipse, explained for kids?
Some adults are still trying to wrap their heads around what an eclipse actually is, so if you’re not sure how to explain an eclipse to kids, don’t sweat it. For both parents and even teachers, explaining eclipses to kids can be tough. You know, the “heavenly bodies” and “special configurations” of it all… Luckily, the European Space Agency (ESA) offers meaningful resources for parents, and educators alike when it comes to explaining solar eclipses to children, writing: In simple terms, explain to a child that a solar eclipse is when the Moon blocks the light from the Sun as it moves between Earth and Sun. The ESA continues to explain lunar eclipses to children as: If you need help explaining that in layman’s terms—for kids!—tell a child that lunar eclipses happen when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth to the Sun, which results in the Moon looking orange in color.
Differences between solar and lunar eclipses
There are two types—solar and lunar eclipses—and each depends on the positioning of the Sun, Moon and Earth in relation to each other. Eddie Mahoney, a NASA astronomer who runs an astrophotography workshop at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa in Hawaii, tells Parade, “A solar eclipse is when the Moon passes in front of the Sun and a lunar eclipse is when the Earth blocks the Sun’s light from reaching the Moon. Dr. McTier explains, “A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and Sun. It casts a tiny shadow on the surface of the earth called the umbra of the eclipse.” As mentioned above, lunar eclipses can also often result in the Moon appearing as if it’s glowing with a distinct orange hue. “Lunar eclipses happen when the Earth is directly between the Sun and Moon, so the Earth casts a big shadow on our only natural satellite,” Dr. McTier adds. “Another difference is that a total lunar eclipse always happens on a full moon, and a total solar eclipse always happens during a new moon.” There’s another main difference between solar and lunar eclipses too, and that’s how often they occur. “Eclipses don’t happen on completely regular schedules, but they come in irregular periods,” Dr. McTier explains. “Total solar eclipses happen roughly every 18 months and total lunar eclipses usually happen once 2.5 years, but we seem to be in a very eclipse-heavy period right now.” According to NASA, there are also subcategories of lunar eclipses: total lunar eclipse and partial lunar eclipse. “A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon and the Sun are on exact opposite sides of Earth,” the NASA website explains. “Although the Moon is in Earth’s shadow, some sunlight reaches the Moon. The sunlight passes through Earth’s atmosphere, which filters out most of the blue light. This makes the Moon appear red to people on Earth. Earth’s shadow passes in front of the Moon until it turns red or orange.” Alternatively, a partial lunar eclipse is when only part of the Moon is in the Earth’s shadow. During this kind of eclipse, Earth’s shadow is extremely dark on the side of the Moon that actually faces Earth. In both scenarios, however, lunar eclipses usually last longer than solar eclipses. “A lunar eclipse usually lasts for a few hours. At least two partial lunar eclipses happen every year, but total lunar eclipses are rare,” NASA writes.
When is the next eclipse?
The most recent solar eclipse happened on October 25, 2022. It was not visible in the United States, but people in Europe, parts of Asia, Africa, the Urals and Siberia were able to witness it. However, in North America, the last visible lunar eclipse was a total eclipse of the Moon on November 8, 2022. Also known as a Blood Moon, the Moon entered the penumbra at 3:01 A.M. ET that morning and left at 8:58 A.M. ET. As of this writing, TimeandDate.org asserts that there will be a total of four eclipses—visible from all different parts of the world—in 2023. “The next total solar eclipse will happen on April 20, 2023, but the path of totality will mostly pass over the Indian Ocean and parts of Australia,” explains Dr. McTier. According to NASA, the path of totality is the track of the Moon’s shadow across Earth’s surface. “This eclipse will be one of the rarest kinds: a hybrid eclipse, which shifts from total to an annular eclipse due to the moon’s curved orbit around the Earth,” Dr. McTier continues. “As the moon curves around Earth, it gets slightly closer to the sun at some points, so it appears to block less of the sun’s light from our perspective.”
What to know about the October 2023 eclipse
Another eclipse will occur in 2023 (a lunar eclipse in May that won’t be visible to North America) before North America will see two more in October. “This one will be an annular eclipse because the moon is a little farther away from Earth and just a bit of the Sun’s outer edge will be visible,” Dr. McTier explains. “It’s happening on October 14, 2023, and the path of maximum coverage will pass through the Western US and South America.” And then there’s an annular lunar eclipse happening from October 28 to 29.
When are the 2023 eclipses?
As of this writing, there are four eclipses that will occur in 2023 with the next one being in April 2023:
April 20, 2023: a total solar eclipse
“On April 20, 2023, a total solar eclipse will be visible from Western Australia,” Mahoney explains. “This is when the Sun is completely blocked by the Moon and day becomes night.” However, this one will not be visible from North America.
May 5-6, 2023: penumbral lunar eclipse
Another eclipse that will not be visible from North America, this will be visible from Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and Antarctica.
October 14, 2023: annular solar eclipse
Mahoney adds, “On October 14, 2023, there will be an annular solar eclipse visible from Oregon to Texas and down to South America. This is when the Moon does not completely cover the Sun and a ring of sunlight is still visible.”
October 28, 2023: partial lunar eclipse
“On October 28-29, 2023, there will be a partial lunar eclipse visible from North East Canada, Europe and Africa,” Mahoney says. “This is when the Earth blocks some of the Sunlight from reaching the Moon and it becomes darker for a few hours.”
Best locations to travel to see the October 14, 2023 eclipse
Are you one of the many people who have already started planning their trip to travel to see the 2023 October eclipse? To start, Dr. McTier recommends using the website Great American Eclipse to plan your eclipse trip, but first, you need to know where to go. “The October eclipse will pass through several states in the US: Oregon, Nevada, the Four Corners, and Texas,” Dr. McTier explains. " If I were going to plan a trip, I think I’d go to the Four corners of Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico so I could see the eclipse from one of the many national parks in that region.” Another helpful trip-planning tool that Mahoney suggests? Using TimeandDate.org. “[Most eclipses] are usually visible from a limited area,” Mahoney says. “There is a wonderful website called TimeandDate.org that has excellent information and maps.” Next up, when is the next blood moon?
