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How to Predict a Solar Eclipse

Solar eclipses happen when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, causing the moon's shadow to fall on Earth and block out some or all of the sun from our view. Predicting solar eclipses is tricky but not impossible. Read on to find out how to predict a solar eclipse.

Instructions

- 1
  Look up predicted solar eclipses in a reputable scientific database like the NASA website. Although this won't give you the same thrill as predicting one yourself, it is a highly accurate and convenient way to track solar eclipses.
- 2
  Find out when the last total solar eclipse took place if you want to predict one yourself. Total solar eclipses occur about every 18 months, and partial eclipses occur about every six months.
- 3
  Refer to the Sauros Cycle to predict a solar eclipse in your part of the world. Every 18 years and 11 and 1/3 days, this cycle starts over, producing a pattern of identical eclipses. The eclipses will be in a different place every cycle, with the same place on Earth experiencing a total eclipse only once every 300 or 400 years.
- 4
  Stay out of the North and South Poles if you have your heart set on catching a total solar eclipse. These parts of the world never experience total eclipses, only partial ones.

Astronomy