2020: The Year of 6 Eclipses!

An solar eclipse never comes alone!

The solar eclipse always happens about two weeks before or after the lunar eclipse. To the ones, who believe in own experience and practical proof than theoretical claims and predictions, the coming year (i.e. 2020) will be the proof of the cycle of solar and lunar eclipses.

After the annual solar eclipse on December 26, 2019, the new year of 2020 opens the astronomy calendar, of in total six eclipses in a year, with penumbral lunar eclipse on January 10.

On June 5, 2020 there will be second penumbral lunar eclipse coming next with annular solar eclipse of the year 2020 on June 21. Two penumbral lunar eclipses will happen in a row, on July 5 and November 30, 2020. And the year, again like the year of 2019, will end with another solar eclipse on December 14, 2020. This will be the total solar eclipse and will be visible from different places in the world.

Sr. No.	Eclipse	Date	Timeline		Visible Places
			UTC	Washim (Maharashtra, India)
1	Penumbral Lunar Eclipse	January 10-11, 2020	Begins: 17:07:44 Ends: 21:12:19	Visible Begins: (Jauary 10) 22:37:44 Ends: ( January 11) 00:42:19	Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, Much of North America, East in South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Arctic
2	Penumbral Lunar Eclipse	June 5, 2020	Begins: 17:45:51 Ends: 21:04:03	Visible Begins: (June 5) 23:15:51 Ends: (June 6) 02:34:03	Much of Europe, Much of Asia, Australia, Africa, South/East South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica
3	Annular Solar Eclipse	June 21, 2020	Begins: 03:45:58 Ends: 09:34:01	Visible Begins: 09:15:58 Ends: 15:04:01	South/East Europe, Much of Asia, North in Australia, Much of Africa, Pacific, Indian Ocean
4	Penumbral Lunar Eclipse	July 5, 2020	Begins: 03:07:23 Ends: 05:52:21	(Not visible, below the horizon) Begins: 08:37:23 Ends: 11:22:21	South/West Europe, Much of Africa, Much of North America, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica
5	Penumbral Lunar Eclipse	November 30, 2020	Begins: 07:32:22 Ends: 11:53:22	(Not visible, below the horizon) Begins: 13:02:22 Ends: 17:23:22	Much of Europe, Much of Asia, Australia, North America, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic
6	Total Solar Eclipse	December 14, 2020	Begins: 13:33:55 Ends: 18:53:03	Visible Begins: 19:03:55 Ends: 00:23:03	South in Africa, Much of South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica

Additional Information:

Solar eclipse happens at the time of new moon. When the Sun, Moon and the Earth are aligned being the Moon in between the Sun and the Earth then solar eclipse occurs. 

Whereas, lunar eclipse happens when the Moon passes directly behind the Earth and into its shadow. This can happen if and only if the Sun, Earth and Moon are exactly or very closely aligned being the Earth in between the Sun and the Moon.  

Annular Solar Eclipse: 

When the Sun and the Moon are exactly in line with the Earth but the apparent size of the Moon is smaller than that of the Sun, then annular solar eclipse occurs. Hence, when moon completely covers the Sun, a very bright ring is formed surrounding the dark disk of the Moon. 

Total Solar Eclipse: 

The moon completely covers the Sun's disk and obscures the intensely bright light of the Sun. The moon comes in line and in between the Sun and the Earth. When the Moon is a little closer to the Earth and in the same orbital plane then total solar eclipse occurs. Due to titled orbit of the moon, there can be at least 2 to no more than 5 solar eclipses in a year. And thus, total solar eclipse is a rare phenomena.

Partial Solar Eclipse:

It occurs when the Moon is aligned and in the middle of the Sun and the Earth but covers only part of the sun's disk, as shown in the image.

Image courtesy: Sameer Mathe, Arceducators.in 

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse: 

It happens when the Moon passes through the Earth's penumbra causing a dimming of the lunar surface. 

Total Lunar Eclipse: 

When the Moon lies exclusively within the Earth's penumbra then a rare phenomenon called total lunar eclipse happens. 

While only a portion of the Moon enters the Earth's umbra, then partial lunar eclipse occurs.