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An eclipse occurs when one celestial body partially or completely blocks out the light from another celestial body.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon blocks out the Sun. While the Sun is much, much, MUCH bigger than the Moon it is also much, much, MUCH farther away from the Earth. The combination of these two facts makes it so that the Moon and the Sun appear to be the same size in our sky.
On April 8, 2024 there will be a total solar eclipse. This means that the Moon will totally cover the Sun. A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Moon only partly covers the Sun. Sometimes the Moon is a little farther away from Earth in its orbit. When this happens during an eclipse the Moon is "too small" in the sky to totally cover the Sun. We call this an annular solar eclipse.
Total Solar Eclipse
Total Solar Eclipse
What will be very near LaFayette on April 8, 2024
Partial Solar Eclipse
Partial Solar Eclipse
What LaFayette experienced on August 21, 2017
Annular Solar Eclipse
Annular Solar Eclipse
Next visible one in Central New York will be in the Year 2093
Eclipses don't occur every lunar cycle because the Moon's orbit is at a 5-degree tilt to Earth's orbit. It's only when both orbits are on the same plane that we can observe an eclipse
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