2020 vision: the six lunar and solar eclipses of 2020

Four lunar and two solar eclipses will strike Earth in the next 12 months

Planet Earth just had an annular solar eclipse on Christmas Day, and there’s another coming in June 2020 along with four lunar eclipses. However, surely the highlight has to be the total solar eclipse taking place in December 2020.

Here’s everything you need to know about the six eclipses of 2020. Also see the special article we put together for Forbes:

1 – January 10, 2020: Wolf Moon Eclipse (Asia, Australia, Europe, and Africa)

Occurring two weeks after the “Christmas Eclipse”, this is the deepest (at 90%), and so the most impressive, penumbral lunar eclipse of 2020. It’s caused by the moon entering the outer part of Earth’s shadow.

2 – June 21, 2020: Solstice Ring Of Fire Eclipse (Ethiopia, Oman and Tibet)

Earth just had one on Christmas Day, but an annular solar eclipse is coming in 2020 that’s extra special. Although it will have to be viewed through solar eclipse glasses, the sight of a bright circle around the moon will, on June 21, 2020—the date of the solstice—bring fading light levels and possibly a view of the solar corona to intrepid eclipse-chasers. They will gather in Ethiopia, Oman, and Tibet for a super-short eclipse lasting as little as 23 seconds.

3 – June 5, 2020: Strawberry Moon Eclipse (Asia, Africa and Australia)

This one occurs two weeks before an annular solar eclipse. 57% of the moon will be covered by Earth’s penumbra, so this eclipse will be hard to see.

4 – July 5, 2020: Thunder Moon Eclipse (South America, North America and Africa)

This one will happen two weeks after an annular solar eclipse. Just 35% of the moon will be covered by Earth’s penumbra, so this eclipse will be virtually impossible to observe.

5 – November 29-30, 2020: Frosty Moon Eclipse (North and South America, Australia and East Asia)

Precisely two weeks before a total solar eclipse in South America. During the event 83% of the moon will be covered by Earth’s penumbra.

6 – December 14, 2020: The Shooting Stars Eclipse (Chile and Argentina)

If you’ve never seen the famous “hole in the sky“—one of nature’s greatest displays—another chance will come on December 14, 2020 when the Moon’s central shadow will take just 24 minutes to cross Chile and Argentina. Observers on the centerline of the path of totality (in southern Chile’s beautiful Lake District and Argentina’s region of Patagonia) will experience 2 minutes 9 seconds totality and, as a bonus, will get to see the peak of the powerful Geminids meteor shower the night before.

Credit: Rick Fienberg / TravelQuest International / Wilderness Travel