2025 Solar & Lunar Eclipse Guide

Eclipses almost always come in pairs. Since it takes nearly four weeks for the Moon to orbit the Earth, the Moon turns full (when lunar eclipses can occur) about two weeks after New Moon (when solar eclipses can occur.) As such, you’ll find that eclipses will typically alternate between lunar and solar, with about six months between each pair. Although you’ll occasionally find a penumbral lunar eclipse popping up between the two pairs to break up the pattern.

Unfortunately, there are no total solar eclipses this year, and our first eclipse of 2025 is a total lunar eclipse, best seen from the Americas, late in the evening of March 13^th and the early hours of the 14^th. Near the end of the same month, on the 29^th, there’s a partial eclipse of the Sun, which is best seen at sunrise (or shortly after) from the northeastern United States and Canada.

A second total lunar eclipse follows on September 7^th. On that occasion, observers in Asia are favored, with India being the best location to witness the eclipse from start to finish. Lastly, there’s another partial solar eclipse at sunrise on September 21^st. However, visibility is limited to the islands in the south Pacific, with the best views coming from New Zealand’s southern island.

If you’d like to know the details for your specific location, you can find out more by visiting the Time and Date site. Xavier M. Jubier also has a very useful interactive map of solar eclipses.

With the annular eclipse of October 2023 and the total eclipse of April 2024, observers in North America have been treated to some unforgettable moments in recent years. Unfortunately, the first solar eclipse of 2025 will pale in comparison, but if you’re in the northeast corner of the United States or Canada, you might catch a glimpse of a partially obscured Sun at sunrise.

For example, New York residents will see the Sun with nearly a quarter of its disc obscured at sunrise, but go a little further north to Bangor, Maine, and you’ll be greeted by a 79% obscured Sun as it climbs over the horizon. That’s enough to produce a darker-than-usual dawn.

It’s a similar story over the border in Canada, where the Sun will appear 72% obscured at sunrise from the city of Quebec and a little less than half hidden from Montreal.

Moving towards the east, the best views (at least from a reasonably easy-to-reach location) come from St. John’s, Newfoundland. There, the Sun will be 83% obscured at 7:52 am, a little more than an hour after sunrise, with the Sun nearly 11 degrees above the horizon.

Venture due north or west, and you’ll find maximum eclipse is either before sunrise or less of the Sun is obscured. However, observers further northeast will fare better. For example, southern Greenland will have similar results to Newfoundland, with Qaqortoq seeing the Sun 85% obscured.

Reykjavik, Iceland, will see the late-morning Sun roughly two-thirds obscured, while European cities will also have an opportunity to witness the Sun partially eclipsed. Regardless of where you are, there’s one thing we can all be grateful for - it’s a Saturday!

To be blunt, unless you’re in New Zealand, one of the south Pacific islands, or conducting research in Antarctica, September’s partial solar eclipse may be a non-starter. Another morning eclipse, It does also skim across Tasmania, but even Hobart, which is located on the eclipse-facing side of the island, will only see the Sun’s disc 3% obscured.

Port Vila, Vanuatu, fares a little better. Observers there will see the Sun 22% obscured just a few minutes after sunrise, while those in Suva, Fiji, will see a 27% eclipsed Sun low over the eastern horizon 26 minutes after sunrise. To the east is Tonga, where the Sun will be 32% from its capital, Nuku’alofa, while those in Apia, Samoa, will witness a 17% obscured Sun roughly an hour after sunrise. (Of course, this area of the Pacific is dotted with islands, but many are sparsely populated, and the circumstances will be similar to the locations mentioned above.)

Turning to New Zealand, Dunedin and Invercargill are the two largest population centers with the best views of the eclipse. The Sun will be 72% obscured from both locations. Lastly, there are a number of islands to the south of New Zealand, but they only offer a little more obscuration. That, and the extra effort required to reach them, might not make the trip worthwhile.