For Fred Espenak (1953–2025)

I know that many people in the sky-watching community share my sadness on hearing of the passing of Fred Espenak, Mr. Eclipse himself.

Fred has been a real hero for eclipse chasers worldwide, creating and selflessly sharing to the world reams of priceless data on eclipses of all kinds, as well as many pages of sound and helpful advice for eclipse viewers. He has inspired many, certainly including me — this entire website was built on his data, and you will see his name credited on every prediction on this site.

And in this, his legacy will endure forever, as his work will continue to inspire millions more. So, thanks, Fred.

Next eclipse:
17 Feb, 2026 AD — Annular Solar Eclipse in 12 weeks: The Sun will be 96% covered in a moderate annular eclipse, lasting 2 minutes and 20 seconds and covering a very broad path, 616 km wide at maximum. It will be visible from a small region in Antarctica. The partial eclipse will be visible over Antarctica and south-eastern Africa.

Plan Ahead For:

3 Mar, 2026 AD — Total Lunar Eclipse: Total eclipse visible in east Asia, Australia, North America, and Central America.

12 Aug, 2026 AD — Total Solar Eclipse: Total eclipse visible north-eastern Greenland, west Iceland, Spain, and the Balearics. Partial eclipse visible Canada and parts of the northern US, and western Europe and north Africa.

2 Aug, 2027 AD — Total Solar Eclipse: Total eclipse visible across the southern tip of Spain, Gibraltar, and North Africa, and the Middle East. Partial eclipse visible across most of Africa, Europe, and south Asia.

22 Jul, 2028 AD — Total Solar Eclipse: Total eclipse visible in the Cocos islands, Christmas island, across Australia from northern Western Australia to Sydney, and across the South Island of New Zealand at Dunedin. Partial eclipse visible across south-east Asia and Australia.

For a full list of upcoming eclipses, see The Next 10 Years.

Welcome to Hermit Eclipse!

What It Is

An eclipse happens when either the new Moon blots out the Sun during the day; or the Full Moon moves into the Earth's shadow at night. In the What's It About section you can learn what eclipses are all about, and how to observe them safely.

When Can I see One

The most spectacular eclipses are also the hardest to find. The When Will I See It section has information and maps on 5,000 years of eclipses, including special pages on eclipses in the UK and US.

Eclipse Science

The mechanics behind eclipses are a little involved, but not too complex. The Science section explains the science from a few different viewpoints, and provides some background on the Sun.

Eclipse Database

You can find out how to access 5,000 years of eclipse pages in the Eclipse Database section, which provides access to the full catalog, as well as special lists of historic eclipses, and a compendium of eclipse statistics.

The Hermit Eclipse Site

Help and information about this website, and information on where we get our data, can be found in the About the Site section.