Guide to Upcoming Solar Eclipses
By now, you’ve probably heard about some upcoming solar eclipses. With news popping up everywhere about 3 in the next year, there’s been a fair amount of confusion around the what, where, and when, so let’s make sure we have them all straight! Before we dive into the actual events, we’ll make sure we understand the basics of solar eclipses, since the different types come with completely different viewing experiences. Regardless of what kind it is though, a solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between our line of sight to the sun, creating a shadow on the surface of the earth in some areas. Our location on the planet and our distance from the moon determines the type of eclipse. Read on to learn about the four different types of solar eclipses.
Types of Solar Eclipses
These is a screen grab from a video I took of a total solar eclipse in August, 2017.
Total Solar Eclipse
During a total eclipse, the disc of the sun is completely covered by the moon. The sky goes dark during this period, and it’s only during this time that you can (and should) view the eclipse without any eye protection. Some planets and even bright stars are often visible. All eclipses are great to witness, but people generally find total solar eclipses to be the most awe-inspiring. Aside from the sky going quite dark, one of the other exciting things about a total eclipse is that you can see the sun’s corona, which otherwise is not viewable without special viewing equipment. The corona is part of the sun’s atmosphere which is much less dense and much dimmer than the surface of the sun. It’s important to know that to view a total solar eclipse, you must be in the narrow path of the central shadow. If you are just outside of that, it only appears as a partial eclipse. More on where to be for eclipses later. If you’ve seen a total eclipse, you know that no words, picture, or video could come close to doing it justice. That doesn’t stop us from telling others about them though - if you haven’t personally witnessed one but have family or friends that have, they’ve surely tried to explain how amazing it is!
This gives an idea of what an annular, or “Ring of Fire” eclipse looks like. This comes from stock imagery (not my photo).
Annular Solar Eclipse
An annular eclipse, also referred to fittingly as a “Ring of Fire” eclipse, occurs when the moon’s distance is farther away from us and does not appear large enough to completely cover the disc of sun, leaving a perfect ring of it visible. Even when the moon is perfectly centered, viewing glasses should be worn, as the surface of the sun is still visible.
This gives an idea of what a partial eclipse looks like. This comes from stock imagery (not my photo)
Partial Solar Eclipse
A partial eclipse happens when the moon only partially blocks the disc of the sun because they are not perfectly lined up from your position. Generally these are not as exciting as an annular eclipse, but still worth a viewing party in my opinion. During total and annular eclipses, if you are outside the path of maximum eclipse, but not too far, you will be able to see a partial eclipse.
Hybrid Solar Eclipse
Hybrid eclipses only come around a few times every century. During the event the eclipse shifts from a total to annular eclipse (or vice versa) due to the changing distance to the moon. In other words, viewers in some places in the path of maximum eclipse will witness a total eclipse, while others will witness an annular eclipse.
Upcoming Solar Eclipses & Maps
Now that we know about the different types of eclipses, let’s talk about the three coming up in the next year. The path of 2 of the 3 cross many states in the US. There are multiple maps available online, but I provide links here to interactive maps put together by Xavier Jubier. These are great for precision planning as opposed to the less detailed maps I’ve seen out there. Note that to witness the maximum eclipse, you’ll want to be in the path of the central shadow, the edges of which are indicated with red lines. The closer you are to the shadow center (blue line), the longer the duration of the eclipse. If you follow the links to the interactive maps, you can then click anywhere on the map to get details such as the exact duration, start and end time, and more.
Path of Hybrid Solar Eclipse on April 20th, 2023. Click here for interactive map.
April 20th, 2023 - Hybrid Solar Eclipse
Visible only to a very small portion of the world’s population, those in Western Australia, East Timor, and the eastern Indonesian islands will be able to see this one.
INTERACTIVE MAP
Path of Annular Solar Eclipse on October 14th, 2023. Click here for interactive map.
October 14th, 2023 - Annular Solar Eclipse
This “Ring of Fire” eclipse will be viewable from many US states, and parts of Central and South America.
INTERACTIVE MAP
Path of Total Solar Eclipse on April 8th, 2024. Click here for interactive map.
April 8th, 2024 - Total Solar Eclipse
The path of this total eclipse crosses Mexico and Texas and extends NE to Maine and parts of Canada.
INTERACTIVE MAP
Planning Ahead
Immediately after the total eclipse of 2017, I headed from my viewing location in Wyoming to Denver to catch a flight back home. I didn’t make it very far before being stopped in the traffic. I spent a total of at least 4 hours standing still on the highways, and couldn’t make it back to Denver in time for my flight. Getting to a viewing spot within the narrow path of the eclipse shouldn’t present much of a problem, since arrivals are spread out over hours and even days before the eclipse. After the magic ends though, the majority of the millions of people that have travelled for the spectacle, are now leaving and heading back towards the major cities. If you’ve ever been stuck in a parking garage after a major event, you have an idea of what it’s like, but it’s worse when you’re in a rural area without the infrastructure to handle the volume of traffic. All of this to say, I recommend having an “escape plan” for after the eclipse. Consider staying put in the area for an extra day, and you will likely avoid this traffic problem. Possibly more important than having an escape plan though, is planning and booking any travel and lodging accommodations you might need as soon as possible. Hotels and campgrounds will without a doubt be fully booked well in advance, so if you wait long, there’s a good chance you’ll be out of luck. Most towns in the path of the upcoming eclipses have already seen the increased demand.
Nearly 20 miles to the nearest town in middle-of-nowhere Wyoming, and this was the line of stop-and-go traffic I was in. It’s not a bad idea to stay put for the rest of the day, or even overnight before leaving, especially if you’re in a rural area.
Eclipse Glasses and Eye Safety
Aside from the short period of time of maximum eclipse during a total eclipse, eclipse glasses or an alternate method of solar viewing protection should be implemented. If you are planning on viewing any solar eclipse, I recommend obtaining glasses early. With the last total eclipse in the US, the demand went up and the supply was low, so I saw a lot of prices shoot up significantly, and at times sellers ran out. The suppliers will likely be better prepared this time, but better to be safe than sorry. You can find a guide on where to buy glasses here. It’s also a good idea for everyone in your group to have their own pair, instead of having to take turns viewing. Find more information on eclipse safety from NASA here.
A demonstration of eclipse glasses use. Glasses or other methods for solar viewing should be used for ALL types solar eclipses. Only during the few moments of maximum eclipse during a total eclipse can glasses come off.
I hope this guide has provided you with some helpful information as you plan for the upcoming eclipses. If you have any questions just let me know!
