A solar eclipse occurs on average about 2 to 5 times per year, with at least two and no more than five eclipses annually. Total solar eclipses happen somewhere on Earth roughly every 18 months, but the chance for any specific location to witness a total eclipse is much rarer, averaging about once every 330 to 540 years depending on the hemisphere. Solar eclipses occur only during an eclipse season, which happens about twice a year when the Moon's orbit intersects Earth's orbit at points called nodes, allowing the Moon to align between the Sun and Earth at new moon phase.
Key Details about Solar Eclipse Frequency
- There must be at least two solar eclipses each year, but never more than five.
- Total solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth about every 18 months.
- The exact alignment needed for an eclipse is rare because the Moon's orbit is tilted about 5° to Earth's orbit.
- A typical place on Earth experiences a total eclipse roughly every 375 years on average; northern hemisphere locations about every 330 years, southern hemisphere about every 540 years.
- Solar eclipses repeat in cycles called Saros cycles, approximately every 18 years.
This means while solar eclipses are relatively frequent on a global scale, they are rare and special events for any particular place on Earth.
