Solar Eclipses 2026 (Surya Grahan): Formation, Phases, Types, and More

A solar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon that happens when the Moon moves between the Earth and the Sun, temporarily blocking sunlight from reaching certain parts of the Earth. This event only takes place during the New Moon phase, when the Sun, Moon, and Earth align in a straight or nearly straight line.

Solar eclipses are classified into four main types: Total, Annular, Partial, and Hybrid. The specific type depends on the Moon’s distance from Earth and how precisely the three celestial bodies are aligned. These factors determine how the Moon’s shadow falls on Earth and what observers experience. Studying solar eclipses is important for competitive exams like UPSC.

What is a Solar Eclipse?

A Solar Eclipse is a natural astronomical event. It occurs when the Moon aligns directly between the Earth and the Sun. During this alignment, the Moon’s shadow falls on Earth, causing noticeable changes in sunlight and the brightness of the sky.

• How Solar Eclipses (Surya Grahan) Occur?
  • Sun, Moon, and Earth Alignment: For a solar eclipse to occur, the Moon must pass between the Earth and the Sun, which temporarily blocks out the sunlight.
  • Role of Moon’s Orbit: Such an event occurs approximately every six months during the new moon phase, as during this time the orbital plane of the Moon is closest to the plane of the Earth’s orbit.

• What Causes the Shadow on Earth?
  • Two types of shadows are cast on the Earth by the Moon during a solar eclipse (Surya Grahan)
  • The Umbra: The Umbra is the dark centre of the Moon’s shadow. People within the umbra will be able to witness a total eclipse. The Umbra gets smaller as it reaches Earth.
  • The Penumbra: The Penumbra is the outer part of the Moon’s shadow and gets larger as it reaches Earth. People within the penumbra will witness a partial eclipse.

Solar Eclipses Formation

The occurrence of Solar Eclipses depends on precise astronomical alignment and orbital mechanics:

• Syzygy: This term refers to a straight-line alignment of three celestial bodies. For a Solar Eclipse to occur, the Moon must be positioned exactly between the Sun and Earth.
• Shadow Formation: When the Moon blocks the Sun’s light, it creates a shadow that extends into space. An eclipse becomes visible when Earth moves into this shadow.
• Orbital Inclination: The Moon’s orbit is tilted by about 5 degrees compared to Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Because of this tilt, perfect alignment does not occur every month.
• Lunar Nodes: Eclipses can only happen when the Moon crosses the ecliptic plane — the apparent path of the Sun in the sky. These crossing points are known as lunar nodes, and the Sun must be near one of these nodes for an eclipse to take place.

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Phases of Solar Eclipse

A Solar Eclipse has five main phases:

• Phases of a Solar Eclipse (Surya Grahan)

Types of Solar Eclipses (Surya Grahan)

• Annular Solar Eclipse: An Annular solar eclipse or Ring of Fire, takes place when the Moon comes between the Sun and Earth while it is at its farthest point from Earth.
  • The Moon looks smaller than the Sun as it is at its farthest point and hence does not cover the Sun completely.
• Total Solar Eclipse (Surya Grahan): This phenomenon occurs when the Moon completely blocks out the Sun. As a result, the sky will darken completely.
• Hybrid Solar Eclipse: It is a combination of a total and annular eclipse. At some points on Earth, it appears as a total eclipse, whereas at other points it appears as an annular.
• Partial Solar Eclipse: This phenomenon occurs when the Sun and Moon are not exactly in line with the Earth, and the Moon only partially covers the Sun.
  • However, partial eclipses are hardly noticeable as they require 90% coverage of the Sun to notice any darkening.

Solar Eclipse vs Lunar Eclipse

While both solar and lunar eclipses involve the alignment of the Sun, Earth, and Moon, they differ in occurrence and visibility:

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Solar Eclipse Shadow Regions

Three distinct shadow zones are created during a Solar Eclipse, depending on the extent to which the Moon blocks sunlight.

1. Umbra: This is the central and darkest part of the shadow, usually about 100–160 km wide along Earth’s surface. Observers within this narrow path see the Sun completely covered, resulting in a Total Solar Eclipse.
2. Penumbra: This is the broader, lighter outer shadow, which can stretch more than 6,400 km across. In this region, only a portion of the Sun is obscured, producing a Partial Solar Eclipse.
3. Antumbra: This area lies beyond the umbra, where the Moon appears slightly smaller than the Sun due to its distance from Earth. Observers here witness an Annular Solar Eclipse, where a bright ring of sunlight surrounds the Moon.

Types of Solar Eclipses

Solar Eclipses are sorted by their alignment and the Moon’s distance from Earth.

Total Solar Eclipse

A Total Solar Eclipse completely hides the Sun. This allows unique observations of the Sun’s atmosphere.

• Complete Obscuration: The Moon completely blocks the Sun’s visible surface.
• Corona Visibility: The Sun’s outer atmosphere becomes visible. This only happens during totality.
• Temperature Drop: Local temperatures can fall quickly.
• Short Duration: Totality lasts from seconds to about seven minutes at most.
• Safe Viewing Window: It is safe to view directly only during totality.

Annular Solar Eclipse

An Annular Solar Eclipse occurs when the Moon is too far away. It cannot completely cover the Sun.

• Apogee Position: The Moon is near its farthest point from Earth.
• Ring of Fire: A bright ring of sunlight surrounds the Moon’s silhouette.
• No Totality: The Sun’s corona is not visible as totality does not occur.
• Higher Frequency: Annular eclipses happen more often than total eclipses.
• Continuous Eye Protection Needed: Direct viewing requires eye protection at all times.

Partial Solar Eclipse

A Partial Solar Eclipse covers only part of the Sun. The Sun, Moon, and Earth are not perfectly centered.

• Imperfect Alignment: The three bodies do not line up exactly.
• Crescent Appearance: The Sun looks like a crescent shape.
• Wide Visibility Area: Partial eclipses are visible over vast regions.
• Minimal Light Reduction: Darkening is noticeable only with high coverage.
• Most Common Type: These eclipses happen about twice every year.

Hybrid Solar Eclipse

A Hybrid Solar Eclipse shifts its appearance along its path. This is due to Earth’s curved surface.

• Mixed Nature: It appears annular in some areas and total in others.
• Rare Event: Hybrid eclipses are the least common type.
• Narrow Path: The duration of totality is short and localized.
• Magnitude Variation: The eclipse magnitude changes during its course.

Solar Eclipse Key Features

Solar Eclipses have distinct characteristics shaped by celestial alignment and shadow dynamics.

• New Moon Condition: A Solar Eclipse takes place only during the New Moon phase, when the Moon positions itself directly between the Sun and Earth, blocking sunlight either partially or completely.
• Eclipse Seasons: These events occur during specific periods called eclipse seasons, which happen roughly twice a year when the Sun aligns closely with the Moon’s orbital nodes.
• Restricted Visibility: A Solar Eclipse is visible only from certain regions of Earth because the Moon’s shadow covers a limited surface area.
• Shadow-Based Types: The experience of an eclipse depends on the part of the Moon’s shadow reaching an observer — the umbra produces a total eclipse, the penumbra results in a partial eclipse, and the antumbra creates an annular eclipse.
• Rare Totality at One Location: For any specific place on Earth, witnessing a Total Solar Eclipse is uncommon, typically occurring only once every 360 to 410 years.

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Prediction of Solar Eclipse

Astronomers can forecast Solar Eclipses with remarkable precision using advanced calculations based on orbital motion and shadow geometry.

• Orbital Geometry: Predictions depend on the precise alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Earth, which occurs during a New Moon when the Moon is near one of its lunar nodes.
• Besselian Elements: Scientists apply mathematical parameters known as Besselian elements to calculate exact details such as eclipse timing, duration, magnitude, and the path of the Moon’s shadow on Earth.
• Eclipse Limits: A Solar Eclipse is possible only when the Sun is positioned close to a lunar node, ensuring the required alignment for the Moon’s shadow to intersect Earth.
• Earth’s Rotation Adjustment (ΔT): Long-term forecasts consider gradual changes in Earth’s rotation speed. The ΔT value helps refine timing predictions over decades and centuries.
• Long-Range Accuracy: With modern astronomical models and computational tools, eclipse paths and timings can be predicted accurately many decades — even centuries — in advance.

Solar Eclipses 2026 List

The years 2026 and 2027 will include multiple Solar Eclipses, creating valuable opportunities for observation, scientific research, and public interest worldwide. Here is the list of upcoming solar eclipses:

Solar Eclipse Observations

Solar Eclipses reveal remarkable solar features that are normally hidden by the Sun’s intense brightness. During totality, the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, becomes visible as a glowing halo around the darkened disk. A thin reddish layer called the chromosphere can also be seen briefly.

Bright pink prominences may extend thousands of kilometers from the Sun’s surface. Just before and after totality, small flashes of light called Baily’s Beads appear as sunlight shines through the Moon’s uneven surface, creating the stunning Diamond Ring effect.

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Impact of Solar Eclipses (Surya Grahan) on Earth and Beyond

• Study Temperature Variation: Temperature drop during an eclipse can lead to cooling of the upper atmosphere.
  • This event is likely to affect the temperature structure of the ionosphere.
• Radio Frequency Variation: Electron density in the ionosphere will decrease due to cooling in the ionosphere.
  • This will have an impact on propagation of radio waves, particularly of high frequency.
• Satellite Communication Challenges: Anomalies in the ionosphere will impact satellite-based navigation signals and also communication.
• Studying Environmental Changes: Studies have shown that solar eclipses (Surya Grahan) can alter Earth’s temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and also ozone density.
• Helps in Solar Studies: Eclipses of the Sun allow scientists to study the Sun’s atmosphere called the corona, which otherwise is not possible due to the bright light of the Sun.

How Solar Eclipses (Surya Grahan) Shaped Celestial Understanding

• Contributions to Understanding Celestial Mechanics
  • Chinese: The Chinese constructed sophisticated observatory buildings for viewing solar eclipses (Surya Grahan). There were astrologers to predict the Emperor’s future using observations.
  • Greek Culture:  Greek astronomers made observations during eclipses and proposed the first known heliocentric model of the Universe.

Solar Eclipses (Surya Grahan) Across Cultures: Spiritual, Artistic, and Historical Significance

• Indian Culture:
  • Evidence: The oldest reference to Eclipse in India is in the Rig Veda, which describes the effect of an eclipse.
  • Means of Attaining Salvation: Skanda Purana has a legend where sages witness a forest-dwelling woman transform into a beauty after bathing in a holy lake during a solar eclipse (Surya Grahan), implying that it is a way of attaining salvation.
  • Ancestral Duties: According to the Padma Purana, a man who offers water to his ancestors during a solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) achieves heaven. However, he becomes a Chandala in case of failure to do so.
• Influence on Art, Literature, and Religion
  • Art: Eclipse has been portrayed in paintings as a monster, dragon, and even a celestial dog, swallowing the sun in ancient Maya and Chinese culture.
    • They were used in the backdrop of European Renaissance crucifixion scenes to give a sorrowful effect.
  • Literature: In Homer’s Odyssey, the protagonist returns to his kingdom, accompanied by a seer’s vision of an eclipse.
• Egyptian Culture: In ancient Egypt, the King who saw himself as a representative of the Sun went around the city to reassure people.
• Chinese Culture: The Chinese considered eclipses to be omens that predicted the future of the Emperor, and hence it was important to predict eclipses.

Legends Surrounding Solar Eclipses (Surya Grahan): A Global Perspective

• India:  According to Hindu mythology, the severed head of Rahu flies off into the sky and swallows the Sun, causing an eclipse.
• Vietnam: Vietnamese believe that the eclipse is caused by a giant frog devouring the Sun.
• Norse Culture: According to ancient Norse culture, the eclipse is caused by the wolf devouring the Sun.
• Korea: The Koreans believe that the solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) is caused by mythical dogs trying to steal the Sun.
• Greeks: Ancient Greek people believed that the solar eclipse was a sign of angry gods and that it signalled the beginning of disasters and destruction.

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Myths and Superstitions Surrounding Solar Eclipses (Surya Grahan) Worldwide

• Myths in India:
  • Food Consumption: Eating food during the eclipse period can cause illness. It is advised to observe fasting during the course of the event.
  • Reducing Effects: Feeding cows and reciting holy mantras can help one overcome the negative effects of a solar eclipse (Surya Grahan).
  • Avoiding Apples: Pregnant women are advised to avoid cutting apples, or else the baby may be born without fingers.
  • Adding Tulsi Leaves to Food: Tulsi leaves have to be added to cooked food to remove all the ill effects and stop bacterial growth post-eclipse.
• Myths Across the World:
  • Signs of Bad Events: People around the world see eclipses as evil omens that bring death, destruction, and disasters.
  • Impact on Women and Children: Popular misconception is that a solar eclipse (Surya Grahan) can endanger pregnant women and their unborn children.
  • Brighter Flowers: Italians believe that flowers planted during a solar eclipse are brighter and colourful than those planted at any other time of the year.

Conclusion

Solar eclipses (Surya Grahan) are astronomical events that have both scientific and cultural significance. They can impact Earth’s atmosphere, temperature, and wildlife. They have also shaped celestial understanding and influenced art, literature, and religion across cultures.

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