Composite image of a 1999 total solar eclipse by Fred Espenak. Read his article on the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse, first one visible from contiguous North America since 1979. Bottom line: Dates of solar and lunar eclipses in 2016, and a preview of the great American eclipse of 2017.
http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/dates-of-next-lunar-and-solar-eclipses
The next eclipse is September 1, 2016, an annular solar eclipse visible from the southern tropical regions of Africa and Madagascar. The new moon will pass directly in front of the solar disk on September 1, but the moon will lie too far away from Earth in its orbit to completely cover over the sun’s disk.
http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/dates-of-next-lunar-and-solar-eclipses
In northwestern Europe, the eclipse will only be visible as a partial eclipse, in the evening or at sunset. Only Iceland, Scotland and Ireland will see the eclipse from beginning to end, in the rest of the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal sunset will occur before the end of the eclipse.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_August_21,_2017
The Moon's Two Shadows. An eclipse of the Sun (or solar eclipse) can only occur at New Moon when the Moon passes between Earth and Sun. If the Moon's shadow happens to fall upon Earth's surface at that time, we see some portion of the Sun's disk covered or 'eclipsed' by the Moon.
http://mreclipse.com/Special/SEprimer.html
Partial and annular phases of solar eclipse on May 20, 2012. Comparison of minimum and maximum apparent sizes of the Sun and Moon (and planets). An annular eclipse can occur when the Sun has a larger apparent size than the Moon, whereas a total eclipse can occur when the Moon has a larger apparent size.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse
Moon blotted out some of the sun during Thursday's partial solar eclipse. Andy, Cathy and Jessica Howell look at a partial eclipse of the sun on Thursday, October 23, in Gainesville, Florida. The solar eclipse was visible for most North Americans. Click through for more views: Tree branches are silhouetted against the sun during the partial eclipse as seen from Paynes Prairie in Gainesville.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/22/tech/innovation/partial-solar-eclipse/index.html
Catalog # (SE5000) A total solar eclipse will take place on Monday, August 21, 2017. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometers wide.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_August_21,_2017
Total Solar Eclipses and the Path of Totality. If the Moon's inner or umbral shadow sweeps across Earth's surface, then a total eclipse of the Sun is seen. The track of the Moon's umbral shadow across Earth is called the Path of Totality. It is typically 10,000 miles long but only about 100 miles wide. It covers less than 1% of Earth's entire surface area.
http://mreclipse.com/Special/SEprimer.html
A solar eclipse always takes place within one fortnight of any lunar eclipse. For instance, in 2016, the total solar eclipse on March 9 comes one fortnight before the penumbral lunar eclipse of March 23. The annular solar eclipse on September 1 occurs one fortnight before the penumbral lunar eclipse of September 16.
http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/dates-of-next-lunar-and-solar-eclipses
Moon blotted out some of the sun during Thursday's partial solar eclipse. By Ben Brumfield, CNN. updated 9:48 PM EDT, Thu October 23, 2014 | Filed under: Innovations. Andy, Cathy and Jessica Howell look at a partial eclipse of the sun on Thursday, October 23, in Gainesville, Florida. The solar eclipse was visible for most North Americans. Tree branches are silhouetted against the sun during the partial eclipse as seen from Paynes Prairie in Gainesville.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/22/tech/innovation/partial-solar-eclipse/index.html
when is the solar eclipse?
The solar eclipse is on August 21, 2017. The solar eclipse on August 21, 2017.