Types of solar eclipses: total, annular, partial and hybrid
There are four types of solar eclipse. In a total eclipse the Moon covers the whole Sun; in an annular eclipse it leaves a bright “ring of fire”; in a partial eclipse it covers only part of the Sun; and a hybrid eclipse is total in some places and annular in others.
Key facts
| Why they happen | The Moon passes between Earth and the Sun at new moon |
|---|---|
| Why the Moon can cover the Sun | The Sun is about 400 times wider than the Moon, and about 400 times farther away |
| Longest possible totality | About 7½ minutes |
| Next total eclipse | August 2, 2027 |
| Rarest type | Hybrid |
A lucky coincidence
The Sun's diameter is about 400 times the Moon's, and it is also about 400 times farther away, so from Earth the two look almost exactly the same size. But the Moon's orbit is an ellipse: when it is near its closest point it looks slightly larger than the Sun, and near its farthest point slightly smaller. That small difference decides which kind of eclipse we get.
Total solar eclipse
When the Moon looks larger than the Sun, its dark inner shadow (the umbra) reaches Earth. Inside a narrow path, usually 100–250 km wide, day turns to deep twilight, the temperature drops, stars and planets appear, and the Sun's glowing outer atmosphere, the corona, becomes visible. Totality lasts at most about 7½ minutes and usually much less. The eclipse of August 2, 2027 will reach 6 minutes 27 seconds in Egypt.
Annular solar eclipse
When the Moon is near its farthest point it is too small to cover the Sun completely, and a bright ring, the “ring of fire”, stays visible around it. The sky darkens only a little, and the Sun is never safe to look at without eclipse glasses, even at the peak.
Partial solar eclipse
Outside the narrow central path, a much wider region, often thousands of kilometers across, sees the Moon take a bite out of the Sun. Some eclipses are only ever partial: the Moon's shadow passes above or below Earth and only its outer shadow, the penumbra, touches the planet.
Hybrid solar eclipse
Because Earth is curved, the middle of the eclipse path is a few thousand kilometers closer to the Moon than its ends. In a hybrid eclipse the Moon is just the right distance away that it looks a little larger than the Sun from the middle of the path (a total eclipse) but a little smaller from the ends (annular). Only a few percent of solar eclipses are hybrid; the next is on November 14, 2031.
Upcoming central solar eclipses
- February 6, 2027: annular
- August 2, 2027: total
- January 26, 2028: annular
- July 22, 2028: total
- June 1, 2030: annular
- November 25, 2030: total
- May 21, 2031: annular
- November 14, 2031: hybrid
- May 9, 2032: annular
- March 30, 2033: total
- March 20, 2034: total
- September 12, 2034: annular
- March 9, 2035: annular
- September 2, 2035: total
Questions people ask
What is the ring of fire?
The bright ring of sunlight visible around the Moon during an annular solar eclipse, when the Moon is too far from Earth to cover the whole Sun.
Which type of eclipse is rarest?
Hybrid eclipses. They make up only a few percent of all solar eclipses.
Can you see the corona during an annular eclipse?
No. The ring of sunlight is far too bright. The corona is only visible during totality.
Sources
Last updated October 20, 2026. Found an error? Tell us.