Why does solar eclipse occur?

A solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and moon are all aligned in a straight line. This is why they are so rare because it is not often that all three are aligned together. They only happen once every 374 years, and even then, it is rare that a person will see the eclipse.

This is because it will depend on where they are on Earth, as well as the weather. If it is sunny, they are more likely to see it than a person in a cloud area. There are four types of solar eclipses, which are total solar eclipse, partial solar eclipse, annual solar eclipse, and a hybrid solar eclipse.

A solar eclipse transpires when the moon crosses between the earth and the sun. This position either partially or totally blocks the earth's view of the sun. This eclipse can only occur during a full moon, when the sun and moon are in tandem, as viewed from the earth.

Every six months, the new moon passes through one of two crossover points where the moon's orbit overlaps the ecliptic. This overlap is how a solar eclipse is made possible. If the moon's shadow should fall upon the earth's surface at the time, you can see some fraction of the sun's disk "eclipsed" by the moon.