When are the next solar eclipse and lunar eclipse in 2020
The year 2020 has already been an eventful one and in terms of celestial events – it has been even more so. The year has already witnessed four eclipses – three penumbral lunar eclipses and an annular solar eclipse. The last one was a penumbral lunar eclipse but was not visible from India.
The last lunar eclipse which was a penumbral one was visible from South/West Europe, parts of Africa, parts of North America, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Antarctica. The last solar eclipse was visible from India from major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, and more place across India.
Next lunar eclipse will happen November 30, 2020
The next lunar eclipse will start from November 29 to November 30 and will be visible from Europe, Much of Asia, Australia, North America, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, and the Arctic.
The lunar eclipse will be the last penumbral eclipse of 2020. Skywatchers in North and South America, Australia, and parts of Asia could be looking at a darker full moon during the maximum phase of this eclipse.
The penumbral eclipse will start from November at 7.32 am UTC which is 1:02 pm in India. The maximum eclipse will be at 3.12 pm IST and will end by 5.23 pm IST.
Next solar eclipse will happen on December 14, 2020
The total solar eclipse will be the last eclipse for 2020 and will be visible from Chile and some parts of Argentina during the afternoon. The region of Sourther South America, south-west Africa, and Antarctica will look at a partial eclipse if the weather permits.
The solar eclipse will be first visible in New Delhi starting at 7.03 pm IST on December 14 and the maximum eclipse will be at 9:43 pm IST. The eclipse will end at 12:23 am IST on December 15.
WHEN IS THE NEXT ECLIPSE? | SOLAR AND LUNAR ECLIPSE DATES
When is the next eclipse? Find the dates and times of upcoming eclipses, including solar eclipses, lunar eclipses, and transits.
In 2020, there will be four eclipses of the Moon, two eclipses of the Sun, and no transits of Mercury. Three of the eclipses will be visible from parts of North America.
In 2021, there will be two eclipses of the Moon, two eclipses of the Sun, and no transits of Mercury. Three of the eclipses will be visible from parts of North America.
ECLIPSE DATES FOR 2020
January 10, 2020: Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon. This eclipse is visible from North America only in far northwestern and northeastern regions. The Moon will enter the penumbra at 12:06 P.M. EST (8:06 P.M. AKST) and leave the penumbra at 4:14 P.M. EST (12:14 P.M. AKST).
June 5, 2020: Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon. This eclipse is not visible from North America. (The eclipse is visible only from the western Pacific Ocean and parts of Australasia, Asia, Antarctica, Europe, Africa, and South America.)
June 21, 2020: Annular Eclipse of the Sun. This eclipse is not visible from North America. (The annular solar eclipse is visible from parts of Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Indonesia, and Micronesia.)
July 4, 2020: Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon. This eclipse is visible from North America, except in northernmost regions. The Moon will enter the penumbra at 11:04 P.M. EDT (8:04 P.M. PDT) on July 4 and leave the penumbra at 1:56 A.M. EDT on July 5 (10:56 P.M. PDT on July 4). Note: Only a small portion of the Moon will fall within the penumbra during this eclipse.
November 29, 2020: Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon. This eclipse is visible from North America. The Moon will enter the penumbra at 2:30 A.M. EST on November 30 (11:30 P.M. PST on November 29) and leave the penumbra at 6:56 A.M. EST (3:56 A.M. PST) on November 30.
December 14, 2020: Total Eclipse of the Sun. This eclipse is not visible from North America. (The eclipse is visible only from the southern Pacific Ocean, the Galapagos Islands, and parts of South America, Antarctica, and Africa.
ECLIPSE DATES FOR 2021
May 26, 2021: Total Eclipse of the Moon. This eclipse is only partially visible from North America. The best views will be from western North America; and the eclipse will also be visible from Hawaii. The Moon will enter the penumbra at 4:46 A.M. EDT (1:46 A.M. PDT) and umbra at 5:45 A.M. EDT (2:45 A.M. PDT). It will leave the umbra at 8:53 A.M. EDT (5:53 A.M. PDT) and penumbra at 9:51 A.M. EDT (6:51 A.M. PDT).
June 10, 2021: Annular Eclipse of the Sun. This eclipse is visible from northern and northeastern North America, beginning at 4:12 AM EDT and ending at 9:11 AM EDT. The time of maximum eclipse varies by location. Note that this is an annular eclipse; the Moon will never fully obscure the visible surface of the Sun—at maximum eclipse, an “annulus” (ring) around the Sun will still be visible. It is safe to view this eclipse only when using eye protection such as “eclipse glasses” or a solar filter.
November 19, 2021: Partial Eclipse of the Moon. This eclipse is visible from North America and Hawaii. The Moon will enter the penumbra at 1:00 AM EST on November 19 (10:00 PM PST, November 18) and umbra at 2:18 AM EST on November 19 (11:18 PM EST, November 18). It will leave the umbra at 5:47 AM EST (2:47 AM PST) and penumbra at 7:06 AM EST (4:06 AM PST) on November 19.
December 4, 2021: Total Eclipse of the Sun. This eclipse is not visible from North America. (It will be visible from the Falkland Islands, the southern tip of Africa, Antarctica, and southeasternmost Australia.)
WHAT IS AN ECLIPSE?
The two types of eclipses that we witness here on Earth are solar eclipses and lunar eclipses:
- A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun, partially or entirely blocking out its light. Solar eclipses are visible only in certain areas and require eye protection to be viewed safely.
- A lunar eclipse occurs when the full Moon enters the shadow of Earth, which cuts off all or part of the sunlight reflected off the Moon. Lunar eclipses are technically visible from the entire night side of Earth, but during a penumbral eclipse, the dimming of the Moon’s illumination is slight.
Not all eclipses are the same, however. There are a few different ways for lunar and solar eclipses to happen:
- A total eclipse (of either the Moon or the Sun) occurs when the Moon or Sun is entirely blocked out.
- During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon is completely obscured by the dark center of Earth’s shadow (called the umbra), giving the Moon a dark, reddish hue.
- During a total solar eclipse, the Sun is completely obscured by the Moon, resulting in a brief period of awe-inspiring darkness.
- A partial eclipse (of either the Moon or the Sun) occurs when only part of the Moon or Sun is obscured.
- An annular eclipse is a type of solar eclipse. Annular eclipses are similar to total solar eclipses (where the Sun is completely obscured by the Moon), but in an annular eclipse, the Moon’s apparent size is smaller than the Sun’s, meaning that the Sun is not completely obscured. This results in a very bright ring of light called an annulus.
- A penumbral eclipse is a type of lunar eclipse. Penumbral eclipses occur when the Moon enters only the faint outer edge of Earth’s shadow (called the penumbra), which causes the Moon to appear slightly darker than usual. The effect is so slight that a penumbral eclipse can be hard to recognize unless you know to look for it!
There is also something called a transit, which is similar to an eclipse, though not quite as visually stunning:
- A transit occurs when one celestial body passes between a larger celestial body and a third celestial body. For example, when Mercury passes between the Sun and the Earth, this is called a transit of Mercury. Because Earth is the third planet from the Sun, we are able to observe transits of both Mercury and Venus.