The next eclipse is less than a month away, the April 8 2024 solar eclipse visible in North America.
Attention is turning to one of the highlights of the astronomy season, particularly in the USA.
The April 8 event follows the 28 October 2023 partial lunar eclipse visible for the UK and all of continental Europe, as well as the Middle East, most of Africa and Asia.
And it follows the October 14 2023 annular that was visible in North America and South America.
The next total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous USA occurs on August 23 2044, so the April 8 event will be savoured by many.
Luckily astronomers know exactly when and where eclipses will be taking place, and which parts of the world will get the best views.
Here we'll look at all the eclipses that will be visible in 2024, including how to get the best views and what you can expect to see.
This is everything you need to know about when, where and for how long each solar eclipse and lunar eclipse will occur over the coming years.
Next solar and lunar eclipses in 2024
Next eclipse - 8 April 2024: Mexico, US & Canada
Type: Total Solar Eclipse
Two total solar eclipses in seven years?! Although it happens in Spring where clear skies are certainly not guaranteed, this four-minute totality is set to top 2017's event. The Path of Totality passes over Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, New York and Vermont, and Canada. Remarkably, one area around Carbondale, Illinois will get a second go at totality, having already seen it in 2017.
For more info have a look at our April 8 solar eclipse path map to find out where it will be visible.
The April 8 total solar eclipse will also be visible in the UK and Ireland as a partial and quite tricky to see.
Read our guide to the April 8 total solar eclipse
2 October 2024: Easter Island & Chile
Type: Annular Solar Eclipse
Although this is also visible in Patagonia on southern Chile's Pacific coast, this Ring of Fire would be best enjoyed among the monoliths of Easter Island.This South Pacific island, over 2,000 miles from mainland South America, has an astronomical allure all of its own.Huge stone statues known as Moai face inland from every beach, and are said to stare at the stars.
14 March 2025
Type: Total Lunar Eclipse
An hour-long ‘Blood Moon’ will be visible to all in the U.S. and Canada, and South America. The west coast of North Africa will receive a glimpse of an eclipsed moonset and the west coast of Australia will see an eclipsed moonrise.
29 March 2025: the UK and Europe
Type: Partial Solar Eclipse
As much as 47% of the Sun will be blocked by the Moon from the U.K. during this event. It will be visible most easily in Europe, though extreme southeastern Atlantic Canada will be able to try for an 84% eclipsed sunrise.
7 September 2025
Type: Total Lunar Eclipse
A 1 hour 22 minute lunar totality will be on show to Africa, India, China and Australia as the entire Indian Ocean gets its decade-best view of a ‘Blood Moon’.
21 September 2025: New Zealand
Type: Partial Solar Eclipse
An eclipsed sunrise that sees about 72% of the Sun blocked by the Moon is going to be visible from New Zealand – and that’s it!
17 February 2026: Southern Chile
Type: Annular Solar Eclipse
About 96% of the Sun’s center will be obscured for just 2 minutes 20 seconds, but only to a remote part of Antarctica. Southern Chile will get the merest of partial solar eclipses. This will be almost exclusively for penguins and whales.
3 March 2026
Type: Total Lunar Eclipse
About 58 minutes of lunar totality will be observable from the U.S., Australia and East Asia, though since the Moon’s southern limb only just makes it inside Earth’s shadow, our satellite may remain fairly bright.
12 August 2026: Iceland and Spain
Type: Total Solar Eclipse
A sky full of auroras during totality in Iceland!? That is very unlikely. More probable is that the ‘Land of Fire and Ice’ will be clouded-out. However, while a 2 minutes 10 seconds totality will occur 25º above the horizon from Iceland’s Snæfellsnes peninsula, in northern Spain it will be just 10º up, and decreasing to a risky eclipsed sunset from Majorca. Wherever you watch from you’ll be on tenterhooks for clear skies.
How to observe the next eclipse
Observing a solar eclipse is a beautiful, memorable experience, but as with all solar observing, care must be taken.
Looking directly at the Sun with the naked eye will damage your eyesight, but there are ways to observe safely.
Projection is a great method, and involves indirectly observing the Sun by projecting its image onto a screen.
This isn't as difficult and can be done with a projection screen or a colander and a piece of paper!
Eclipse glasses are fitted with solar filters for safe viewing. But you must always by proper certified glasses from a reputable supplier - accept no substitutes!
Other methods include fitting a white light filter to your telescope and using a hydrogen-alpha telescope.
Or you could also use a dedicated solar telescope to get a close-up view.
Find out more about all of these methods in our guide on how to safely observe a solar eclipse.
