A solar eclipse occurs when an observer (on Earth) passes through the shadow cast by the Moon which fully or partially blocks (“occults”) the Sun. This can only happen when the Sun, Moon and Earth are nearly aligned on a straight line in three dimensions (syzygy) during a new moon when the Moon is close to the ecliptic plane. In a total eclipse, the disk of the Sun is fully obscured by the Moon. In partial and annular eclipses, only part of the Sun is obscured.

Solar and Lunar Eclipse

A solar eclipse happens when the New Moon moves between Earth and the Sun while a lunar eclipse occurs when Earth casts a shadow on the Full Moon.

The Solar Eclipse

When is the Next Solar Eclipse in Nigeria?

The next partial solar eclipse in Nigeria is in 438 days on Sunday, 06/21/2020.

The next total solar eclipse in Nigeria is in 5458 days on Monday, 03/20/2034.

The next annular solar eclipse in Nigeria is in 2859 days on Saturday, 02/06/2027.

Future Solar Eclipses

Date	Type	Time of eclipse	Magnitude	Width of eclipse path
02/06/2027	annular	16:00:48	0.9281	282km
03/20/2034	total	10:18:45	1.0458	159km
01/05/2038	annular	13:47:11	0.9728	107km
05/31/2049	annular	13:59:59	0.9631	134km
04/30/2060	total	10:10:00	1.066	222km
12/06/2067	hybrid	14:03:43	1.0011	4km
03/10/2081	annular	15:23:31	0.9304	277km
08/03/2092	annular	09:59:33	0.9794	75km
09/04/2100	total	08:49:20	1.0402	142km
06/03/2114	total	09:14:09	1.0766	248km
05/03/2125	annular	13:42:33	0.9915	31km
03/01/2128	annular	07:48:32	0.994	24km
05/04/2190	annular	10:56:30	0.9577	154km
11/09/2208	hybrid	08:17:12	1.0059	20km
04/15/2219	total	14:26:33	1.0628	207km
07/19/2251	annular	14:18:46	0.9773	85km
08/19/2259	total	13:22:17	1.0412	141km
01/22/2270	total	14:46:29	1.0385	130km
05/20/2338	annular	15:14:20	0.9812	67km
06/21/2392	annular	11:57:58	0.9762	90km

Past solar eclipses

Date	Type	Time of eclipse	Magnitude	Width of eclipse path
03/29/2006	total	10:12:23	1.0515	184km
07/31/1962	annular	12:25:33	0.9716	103km
10/02/1959	total	12:27:00	1.0325	120km
05/20/1947	total	13:47:47	1.0557	196km
01/22/1898	total	07:19:12	1.0244	96km
05/17/1882	total	07:36:27	1.02	72km
02/23/1868	annular	14:21:31	0.9348	244km
10/20/1846	annular	07:46:12	0.9567	159km
05/27/1835	annular	13:35:42	0.9486	196km
07/27/1832	total	14:01:06	1.0776	252km
05/05/1818	annular	07:15:49	0.9464	233km
07/17/1814	total	06:30:29	1.0774	254km
11/29/1807	hybrid	11:42:09	1.0135	55km
06/16/1806	total	16:24:27	1.0604	210km
09/16/1792	annular	09:13:52	0.9739	93km
05/03/1734	total	10:15:56	1.0635	208km
06/22/1694	annular	16:08:45	0.9517	183km
09/12/1662	annular	11:50:45	0.9581	153km
02/06/1655	annular	12:51:54	0.9408	224km
07/02/1647	total	11:21:21	1.0643	217km

The Lunar eclipse

The last lunar eclipse was the Super Blood Wolf Moon on Jan. 20-21, 2019. It was a total lunar eclipse. Here is a schedule of upcoming lunar eclipses:

• July 16, 2019: Partial eclipse. Visible from South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
• Jan. 10, 2020: Penumbral eclipse. Visible from parts of North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
• June 5, 2020: Penumbral eclipse. Visible from parts of South America, Europe, Africa, most of Asia and Australia.
• July 5, 2020: Penumbral eclipse. Visible from most of North America, South America, western Europe and Africa.
• Nov. 30, 2020: Penumbral eclipse. Visible from North America, South America, northern Europe, eastern Asia and Australia.

NASA keeps a list predicting lunar eclipses until 2100. They also keep data about past lunar eclipses. During the 21st century, Earth will experience a total of 228 lunar eclipses, according to the space agency.