Free Online Solar Eclipse Calculator
Find upcoming solar eclipses and visibility for your location.
The tool searches forward for the next eclipses after this date.
−90 to 90
−180 to 180
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Local visibility depends on the Sun being above the horizon and on the library's shadow model. Always use certified solar filters when observing the Sun.
Exact local visibility depends on Astronomy Engine's shadow model. Terrain, buildings, and local horizon obstructions are not modelled, and contact times can shift by a few seconds.
Next global solar eclipses
—The greatest eclipse point is where the Moon's shadow axis passes closest to Earth's centre.
| Date and time | Type | Greatest location | Obscuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search for an eclipse to populate this table. | |||
Global eclipse dates come from a numerical ephemeris. A partial eclipse has no central greatest point, so its latitude and longitude are shown as unavailable.
About the Solar Eclipse Calculator
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun and its shadow falls on our planet. Because the Moon's orbit is tipped by about five degrees relative to Earth's orbital plane, the three bodies do not line up every month. Eclipses occur only near new moon and only when the new moon is close to one of the orbital nodes where the two planes intersect. This calculator searches an astronomical ephemeris for those alignments and reports both the global circumstances and the view from a chosen latitude and longitude.
Total, annular, partial, and hybrid eclipses
The Moon's apparent size changes with its distance from Earth, and Earth's distance from the Sun changes too. A total eclipse occurs when the Moon's disc completely covers the photosphere and the corona becomes visible. An annular eclipse occurs when the Moon is too far away to cover the Sun completely, leaving a bright ring. A partial eclipse occurs when the alignment is imperfect and only part of the solar disc is hidden. A hybrid eclipse shifts between total and annular along the track because Earth's curvature changes the observer's distance from the Moon. The global table lists the classification at greatest eclipse; the local result describes what an observer at your coordinates would actually experience.
Global versus local circumstances
Global calculations identify when and where the shadow axis comes closest to Earth. Local calculations solve for the Moon's shadow at one specific place, producing contact times for the beginning of the partial phase, the start and end of totality or annularity, and the moment of maximum obscuration. If the Sun is below the horizon at the selected location, the event is not visible there even though it may be spectacular elsewhere. The altitude values reported for each contact help you judge whether the eclipse occurs in daylight.
Using the latitude and longitude fields
Enter coordinates in decimal degrees. Northern latitudes are positive and southern latitudes are negative. Eastern longitudes are positive and western longitudes are negative. For example, New York is approximately 40.7128 and −74.0060, while Sydney is approximately −33.8688 and 151.2093. The search starts at the date you supply and looks forward, so a date in the past is a convenient way to review an eclipse that has already happened. Times are converted to your browser's local time zone for readability.
Safety and observing
- Never look directly at the Sun without ISO 12312-2 certified filters, except during the brief total phase when the photosphere is completely covered.
- Ordinary sunglasses, smoked glass, exposed film, and polarising filters are not safe for solar observation.
- Use indirect projection or a dedicated solar telescope for group viewing.
- Check the local cloud forecast and the Sun's altitude before travelling to an eclipse track.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the next local eclipse later than the next global eclipse?
Most solar eclipses are visible only along a narrow track or from a limited region. A global search can find an event months or years before one occurs at your particular location, because the Moon's shadow usually misses your position entirely.
How accurate are the contact times?
The values are computed from a high-precision model of the Sun and Moon and are typically accurate to a few seconds for the geometric circumstances. Local terrain, atmospheric refraction, and the height of the observer can shift the observed times slightly.
Can the calculator find eclipses far in the future?
Yes. The search continues forward from the chosen date, and the table lists the next several global events. Very distant dates rely on extrapolated orbital models, so the uncertainty grows slowly with time.