Dataset research · 1950–2050
How Many Eclipses Happen Each Year? 1950–2050 Dataset Analysis
By Cheng Xu ·
Across the 101 calendar years from 1950 through 2050, our dataset records 453 eclipses: 223 solar and 230 lunar. Every calendar year has between 4 and 7 eclipses—most commonly 4 eclipses (66 of 101 years, 65.35%), while 7 eclipses occur in only 3 years (1973, 1982, 2038).
Browse upcoming events in the eclipse calendar, download the 1950–2050 eclipse CSV, or cite the archived dataset on Zenodo (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23837408).
How many eclipses occur in a calendar year? (1950–2050)
| Eclipses in UTC year | Number of years | Share of 1950–2050 | Example years in dataset |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 eclipses | 66 | 65.35% | 1950, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1965 |
| 5 eclipses | 24 | 23.76% | 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1962, 1963, 1969 |
| 6 eclipses | 8 | 7.92% | 1964, 1991, 2000, 2009, 2011, 2020, 2029, 2047 |
| 7 eclipses | 3 | 2.97% | 1973, 1982, 2038 |
Breakdown by solar and lunar eclipse type
| Category | Kind | Count (1950–2050) | Share of all 453 eclipses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar | Total | 73 | 16.11% |
| Solar | Annular | 70 | 15.45% |
| Solar | Partial | 80 | 17.66% |
| Lunar | Total | 89 | 19.65% |
| Lunar | Partial | 58 | 12.80% |
| Lunar | Penumbral | 83 | 18.32% |
Eclipse seasons: pairs versus three-eclipse seasons
Eclipses occur only when a New Moon or Full Moon takes place near one of the two lunar nodes (North Node or South Node). Because the Sun passes a node approximately every 173.3 days (an eclipse year of 346.6 days is shorter than the 365.24-day calendar year), two—and occasionally three—eclipse seasons fall within a calendar year.
Grouping eclipses separated by less than 40 days across 1950–2050 yields 213 eclipse seasons: 186 contain two eclipses (87.32%) and 27 contain three eclipses (12.68%).
| First eclipse (UTC) | Second eclipse (UTC) | Third eclipse (UTC) | Sequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951-08-17 03:14 UTC | 1951-09-01 12:51 UTC | 1951-09-15 12:26 UTC | penumbral lunar → annular solar → penumbral lunar |
| 1953-07-11 02:43 UTC | 1953-07-26 12:20 UTC | 1953-08-09 15:54 UTC | partial solar → total lunar → partial solar |
| 1958-04-04 03:59 UTC | 1958-04-19 03:26 UTC | 1958-05-03 12:12 UTC | penumbral lunar → annular solar → partial lunar |
| 1962-07-17 11:54 UTC | 1962-07-31 12:24 UTC | 1962-08-15 19:56 UTC | penumbral lunar → annular solar → penumbral lunar |
| 1964-06-10 04:33 UTC | 1964-06-25 01:06 UTC | 1964-07-09 11:17 UTC | partial solar → total lunar → partial solar |
Why greatest eclipse time differs from exact New or Full Moon time
Readers comparing our 2026 and 2027 eclipse pages with our Full Moon and New Moon calendars often notice a difference of several minutes. They measure two different geometric instants:
- Exact New or Full Moon: the instant when the Moon’s apparent geocentric ecliptic longitude is 0° or 180° from the Sun’s.
- Greatest eclipse: the instant when the axis of the Moon’s shadow cone passes closest to Earth’s center (for solar eclipses) or when the Moon’s center passes closest to the axis of Earth’s shadow (for lunar eclipses). Because the Moon’s orbit is inclined by about 5.1° to the ecliptic, closest approach in 3D shadow geometry does not coincide with 0° or 180° ecliptic longitude separation unless the eclipse occurs exactly at a node.
| Eclipse | Greatest eclipse (UTC) | Exact New/Full Moon (UTC) | Peak minus phase (min) | Eclipsed body position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| annular solar | 2026-02-17 12:11 UTC | 2026-02-17 12:01 UTC | +10 min | 28°50′ Aquarius |
| total lunar | 2026-03-03 11:33 UTC | 2026-03-03 11:38 UTC | -5 min | 12°52′ Virgo |
| total solar | 2026-08-12 17:45 UTC | 2026-08-12 17:37 UTC | +8 min | 20°02′ Leo |
| partial lunar | 2026-08-28 04:12 UTC | 2026-08-28 04:19 UTC | -7 min | 4°51′ Pisces |
| annular solar | 2027-02-06 15:59 UTC | 2027-02-06 15:56 UTC | +3 min | 17°38′ Aquarius |
| penumbral lunar | 2027-02-20 23:12 UTC | 2027-02-20 23:24 UTC | -12 min | 1°59′ Virgo |
| penumbral lunar | 2027-07-18 16:02 UTC | 2027-07-18 15:45 UTC | +17 min | 25°58′ Capricorn |
| total solar | 2027-08-02 10:06 UTC | 2027-08-02 10:05 UTC | +1 min | 9°55′ Leo |
| penumbral lunar | 2027-08-17 07:13 UTC | 2027-08-17 07:29 UTC | -16 min | 24°04′ Aquarius |
Method, Zenodo archive and limits
All 453 events are computed with Astronomy Engine global solar and lunar eclipse searches and cross-linked to the 1950–2050 Moon phase table. See the eclipse methodology for city visibility rules.
Download the research and comparison JSON · Reproduce these tables (TypeScript source). Archived dataset: Zenodo DOI 10.5281/zenodo.23837408. Output is licensed under CC BY 4.0; credit Natal Chart Lab and link to this article.
Cite this research
Natal Chart Lab (2026). How Many Eclipses Happen Each Year? 1950–2050 Dataset Analysis. https://natalchartlab.com/articles/how-many-eclipses-per-year-1950-2050; supporting data. Reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit Natal Chart Lab, link to this article and the license, and indicate changes.
Prepared with AI assistance and checked against calculation code and saved data. Astronomical calculations and dataset statistics do not establish astrological claims about personality, relationships or future events.