If celestial events is where your interest lies, you will be mighty pleased to know that a total of 454 eclipses are lined up for the 21st century. Now it would be overtly optimistic on our part to say we will witness them all, but we can surely aim for as many upcoming eclipses as possible.
Total or Partial?
A solar eclipse can be both, total and partial. The solar eclipse that occurred on March 20, 2015, was visible as a total solar eclipse from Svalbard (Norway) and the Faroe Islands, but a partial solar eclipse from other parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Irrespective of whether you are an amateur astronomy enthusiast or a veteran of the field, you are in for a treat with several celestial events lined up for the next few years. These include rare occurrences like the 3-planet conjunction involving Venus, Mars, and Jupiter (2015), the transit of Mercury across the Sun (2016 and 2019), and the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn (2020), as well as fairly common occurrences like the annual meteor showers, supermoons, comets, and a whole lot of eclipses.
As many as 454 eclipses are lined up for the 21st century; these include 224 solar eclipses (68 total, 77 partial, 72 annular, and 7 hybrid) and 230 lunar eclipses (85 total, 58 partial, and 87 penumbral).
Solar and Lunar Eclipses
For those who are feeling a bit rusty, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon―in course of orbiting the Earth―comes in between the Sun and Earth and casts its shadow on a particular region of the planet. On the other hand, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and Moon, and its shadow hides the Moon or makes it obscure. One of the major differences between the solar and lunar eclipses is that the former lasts only for a few minutes, while the latter can last for hours together.
List of Upcoming Eclipses
| Date | Eclipse Type | Time (UTC)* | Where will it be visible? |
| March 20, 2015 | Total Solar Eclipse | 09:46:47 | Northern Europe, central Asia, and northern half of Africa |
| April 4, 2015 | Total Lunar Eclipse | 12:01:24 | Antarctica, Australia, Asia, North America, South America, and Madagascar Islands off coast Africa |
| September 13, 2015 | Partial Solar Eclipse | 06:55:19 | Antarctica and southern Africa |
| September 28, 2015 | Total Lunar Eclipse | 02:48:17 | Antarctica, South America, North America, Africa, Europe, and western Asia |
| March 9, 2016 | Total Solar Eclipse | 01:58:19 | Southeast Asia, Australia, and Alaska in North America |
| March 23, 2016 | Penumbral Lunar Eclipse | 11:48:21 | Antarctica, Australia, North America, Asia, South America, and parts of eastern Europe |
| September 1, 2016 | Annular Solar Eclipse | 09:08:02 | Africa, southern Europe, western coast of Australia, and parts of North America |
| September 16, 2016 | Penumbral Lunar Eclipse | 18:55:27 | Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, Antarctica, northwestern North America, and western South America |
| February 11, 2017 | Penumbral Lunar Eclipse | 00:45:03 | Africa, Europe, South America, Asia, North America, and parts of Antarctica |
| February 26, 2017 | Annular Solar Eclipse | 14:54:33 | Antarctica, southern half of South America, and southern Africa |
| August 7, 2017 | Partial Lunar Eclipse | 18:21:38 | Antarctica, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and eastern South America |
| August 21, 2017 | Total Solar Eclipse | 18:26:40 | North America, South America, northwestern Africa, western Europe, and eastern Asia |
| January 31, 2018 | Total Lunar Eclipse | 13:31:00 | Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, eastern Africa, and north-western South America |
| ebruary 15, 2018 | Partial Solar Eclipse | 20:52:33 | Antarctica and southern half of South America |
| July 13, 2018 | Partial Solar Eclipse | 03:02:16 | Southern tip of Australia and parts of Antarctica |
| July 27, 2018 | Total Lunar Eclipse | 20:22:54 | Antarctica, Africa, Asia, South America, Australia, Europe, and parts of North America |
| August 11, 2018 | Partial Solar Eclipse | 09:47:28 | Asia, northern Europe, and northern North America |
| January 6, 2019 | Partial Solar Eclipse | 01:42:38 | Eastern Asia and Alaska in north-western North America |
| January 21, 2019 | Total Lunar Eclipse | 05:13:27 | North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and northern parts of Asia |
| July 2, 2019 | Total Solar Eclipse | 19:24:08 | South America and southern tip of North America |
| July 16, 2019 | Partial Lunar Eclipse | 21:31:55 | Antarctica, Africa, South America, Europe, Asia, and parts North America |
| December 26, 2019 | Annular Solar Eclipse | 05:18:53 | Asia, Africa, eastern Europe, and parts of Australia |
| January 10, 2020 | Penumbral Lunar Eclipse | 19:11:11 | Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, northern parts of North America, and eastern parts of South America |
| June 5, 2020 | Penumbral Lunar Eclipse | 19:26:14 | Antarctica, Australia, Asia, Africa, and western South America |
| June 21, 2020 | Annular Solar Eclipse | 06:41:15 | Asia, Europe, Africa, and northern parts of Australia |
| July 5, 2020 | Penumbral Lunar Eclipse | 04:31:12 | Antarctica, South America, North America, Africa, and western Europe |
| November 30, 2020 | Penumbral Lunar Eclipse | 09:44:01 | North America, Asia, South America, Australia, and parts of western Europe |
| December 14, 2020 | Total Solar Eclipse | 16:14:39 | Almost the whole of South America, parts of Antarctica, and southern Africa |
| May 26, 2021 | Total Lunar Eclipse | 11:19:53 | Antarctica, Australia, South America, Southeast and eastern Asia, and Northern America |
| June 10, 2021 | Annular Solar Eclipse | 10:43:07 | Northern parts of North America, Europe, and Asia |
| November 19, 2021 | Partial Lunar Eclipse | 09:04:06 | North America, South America, Asia, Australia, western Europe, and western Antarctica |
| December 4, 2021 | Total Solar Eclipse | >07:34:38 | Antarctica, southern Africa, and southern tip of South America |
| April 30, 2022 | Partial Solar Eclipse | 20:42:36 | Southern South America and parts of Antarctica |
| May 16, 2022 | Total Lunar Eclipse | 04:12:42 | South America, Antarctica, Africa, North America, Europe, and eastern parts of Asia |
| October 25, 2022 | Partial Solar Eclipse | 11:01:20 | Europe, eastern Asia, north-western Africa, and northern parts of North America |
| November 8, 2022 | Total Lunar Eclipse | 11:00:22 | North America, Asia, Australia, South America, Europe, and parts of Antarctica |
| April 20, 2023 | Hybrid Solar Eclipse | 04:17:56 | Southeast Asia, Australia, and Antarctica |
| May 5, 2023 | Penumbral Lunar Eclipse | 17:24:05 | Asia, Antarctica, Africa, Europe, and Australia |
| October 14, 2023 | Annular Solar Eclipse | 18:00:41 | North America, South America, and parts of western Africa |
| October 28, 2023 | Partial Lunar Eclipse | 20:15:18 | Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, eastern parts of South America and North America |
| March 25, 2024 | Penumbral Lunar Eclipse | 07:13:59 | North America, South America, western Europe, western Africa, eastern Asia, and eastern Australia |
| April 8, 2024 | Total Solar Eclipse | 18:18:29 | North America, parts of western Europe, and northern parts of South America |
| September 18, 2024 | Partial Lunar Eclipse | 02:45:25 | South America, North America, Africa, Europe, and eastern Asia |
| October 2, 2024 | Annular Solar Eclipse | 18:46:13 | Southern and western South America, and Antarctica |
*Time of the Greatest Eclipse (UTC)
While scientists look at an eclipse as a celestial occurrence, in some communities it is considered a divine intervention. Nevertheless, there is no denying the fact that the event is tracked by millions of people across the globe; some do it for its religious and cultural attributes, others do it for sheer fun.
