There will be two partial solar eclipses. The first partial solar eclipse was visible from parts of South America. The next partial solar eclipse will be visible in Europe, western Asia and northeast Africa.

A solar eclipse occurs when the new moon, which is otherwise invisible, makes a rare appearance by crossing in front of the sun's face, slowly creating the appearance of a bite taken from the sun. Until the moon completely blocks the sun's disk, this continues.

There will be no total solar eclipse this year. The last total solar eclipse was visible from the southern part of the world. There will be no total solar eclipse in 2022, however there are two total lunar eclipses that will be visible across North and South America, Africa and Western Europe. The second lunar eclipse will be visible across North and South America, the Pacific and east Asia.

There is only one total solar eclipse of 2021.

Did you know?

Two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse, there is a solar eclipse.

You can find a complete list of the upcoming solar eclipses on NASA's eclipse website, which provides information about solar eclipses, including detailed maps of each eclipse path. The next great American solar eclipse will take place on April 8, 2024.

During the partial solar eclipse the moon covers a portion of the surface of the sun.

The solar eclipse of April 30, 2022 was visible from the GOES-16 satellite. (Image credit: NOAA)

Diagram showing the path of the April 30 partial solar eclipse.

The first partial solar eclipse of 2022 swept across the southeast Pacific and southern South America.  (Image credit: NASA)

There was a partial solar eclipse in the southeast Pacific and southern South America.

The first place to view the solar eclipse was in the afternoon. At 3.41 p.m., the greatest point of the solar eclipse occurred. The last place to view the partial eclipse was at 5.47 p.m. The time and date are listed.

The data from Time and Date is included in the chart.

Satellite views of the 1st solar eclipse of 2022.

Timetable for the partial solar eclipse on April. 30 (All times local)
LocationPartial eclipse beginsMaximum eclipsePartial eclipse ends% of sun covered
Puerto Williams, Chile4:46 p.m.5:57 p.m.6:04 p.m.52%
Santiago, Chile4:33 p.m.5:36 p.m.6:03 p.m.18%
Gastre, Chubut, Argentina5:12 p.m.6:21 p.m.6:42 p.m.40%

Partial solar eclipse Oct. 25

The second partial solar eclipse of the year is viewable from Europe, western Asia and northeast Africa.

Diagram showing the path of the October 25 partial solar eclipse. (Image credit: NASA)

Europe, western Asia and northeast Africa can see the second partial solar eclipse of the year. There will be a partial solar eclipse in western India from near sunrise to near sunset. Those wishing to see the moon take the biggest bite out of the sun's disk will have to travel some 1,500 miles to the east- north of Moscow.

There are still good partial solar eclipse viewing opportunities in Europe, the Middle East, western Asia and northeast Africa. There will be a partial solar eclipse on October 25.

The first place to view the partial solar eclipse is at 3.58 a.m. The greatest point of the solar eclipse occurs at 6 a.m. The last place to view the partial eclipse is at 8:02 a.m. The time and date are listed.

The data from Time and Date is included in the chart.

Timetable for the partial solar eclipse on Oct. 25 (All times local)
LocationPartial eclipse beginsMaximum eclipsePartial eclipse ends% of sun covered
Reykjavik, Iceland8:58 a.m.9:46 a.m.10:35 a.m.19%
London, United Kingdom10:08 a.m.10:59 a.m.11:51 a.m.15%
Cairo, Egypt 12 p.m.1:09 p.m.2:16 p.m.26%
Moscow, Russia12:24 p.m.1:38 p.m.2:51 p.m.63%
Dubai, United Arab Emirates2:41 p.m.3:51 p.m.4:54 p.m.39%
Delhi, India 4:29 p.m.5:30 p.m.5:42 p.m.44%

How to view the sun safely

Don't look at the sun without protection. Special filters are used to safely observe the sun during solar eclipses. We have a guide on how to observe the sun safely.

Special protective eyewear or eclipse glasses are required to observe the sun or watch an eclipse. Basic sunglasses are not enough to protect your eyes. There are special solar filters you can add to make sure the remaining ring of sunlight doesn't take a toll on your vision.

The safest way to observe an eclipse is indirect, using a camera that you can make at home.

If you must document one of these events, a simple, wide-angle snap should capture the moment, even if you are using your phone.

The best deals on eclipse glasses are available today.

If you snap an amazing solar eclipse photo and would like to share it with Space.com's readers, send your photo, comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.

Additional resources

Do you want to look further ahead? There is a concise summary of solar eclipses on NASA's website. Eclipse Wise is a website dedicated to predictions of eclipses. The astronomy department at Cornell University has an article about eclipses on other planets.

Bibliography

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