A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth and blocks the Sun; a lunar eclipse happens when Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon and its shadow darkens the Moon. The practical difference is your eyes: you need eclipse glasses certified to ISO 12312-2 to look at a solar eclipse (except during the brief minutes of totality, inside the path), while a lunar eclipse is safe to watch with bare eyes. NASA puts it simply: "Unlike a solar eclipse, it is always safe to look at a lunar eclipse with the naked eye."
Last updated: 6 November 2026 (facts checked 31 October 2026)
People mix the two up all the time, and in Arabic the words for them, كسوف and خسوف, are close enough to cause confusion too. The next big one in our part of the world is a solar eclipse: on 2 August 2027 the Moon will completely cover the Sun over southern Spain, North Africa and Arabia. Here is what sets the two apart, and why only one of them needs glasses.
What is the difference between a solar and a lunar eclipse?
It comes down to the order of the three bodies. In a solar eclipse the line-up is Sun, Moon, Earth: the Moon sits in front of the Sun and its shadow falls on a small part of Earth. In a lunar eclipse it is Sun, Earth, Moon: Earth sits in the middle and its shadow falls on the Moon.
| Solar eclipse | Lunar eclipse | |
|---|---|---|
| Line-up | Sun, Moon, Earth | Sun, Earth, Moon |
| What goes dark | The Sun, covered by the Moon | The Moon, in Earth's shadow |
| Moon phase | New Moon only | Full Moon only |
| Where you can see it | A small area; totality only inside a narrow path (about 258 km wide on 2 August 2027) | The whole night side of Earth, about half the planet |
| Longest totality | About 7.5 minutes at most; 6 min 23 s on 2 August 2027 | Up to about 1 h 45 min |
| Types | Total, annular, partial, hybrid | Total, partial, penumbral |
| How many per year | 2 to 5 | 2 to 5 (counting faint penumbral ones) |
| Eye protection | ISO 12312-2 eclipse glasses for every partial phase; bare eyes only during totality | None needed, ever |
Sources: NASA eclipse pages and the NASA Goddard eclipse catalogues (counts per year; the longest lunar totality in NASA's five-millennium catalogue is 106.6 minutes, the longest solar totality 7 min 29 s on 16 July 2186). Path width from NASA's path table for 2 August 2027.
The small-area point matters more than it looks. When the Moon blocked the Sun on 12 August 2026, Spain saw totality only along a band across the north; on 2 August 2027 the band runs from Cádiz and Málaga across the Strait to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Our map of the 2027 path of totality, country by country shows exactly where.
Why does a solar eclipse need glasses and a lunar eclipse doesn't?
Because in a solar eclipse you are looking at the Sun, and in a lunar eclipse you are looking at the Moon. Even when 99% of the Sun is covered, the thin crescent left over is still bright enough to damage the retina. That is why NASA says solar viewers should meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard, and that "regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the Sun."
A lunar eclipse is the opposite: the full Moon gets darker, not brighter. NASA's guidance is that "it is safe to look at the Moon with unprotected eyes or through a telescope during all types and during all stages of a lunar eclipse." No glasses, no filter, binoculars welcome.
The one exception in a solar eclipse is totality. Inside the path, once the Moon covers the Sun completely, you can take the glasses off and look; the moment the first bright point of sunlight comes back, they go on again. Outside the path, for example in Madrid, Lisbon or Rome on 2 August 2027, there is no totality, so the glasses stay on the whole time. Our guide how to use eclipse glasses safely walks through it, and ISO 12312-2 explained shows what a genuine pair must carry.
Why does the Moon turn red in a lunar eclipse?
Because some sunlight still reaches it, bent through Earth's atmosphere. NASA explains that "the same phenomenon that makes our sky blue and our sunsets red causes the Moon to turn red during a lunar eclipse. It's called Rayleigh scattering." The blue light is scattered away in the air; the red light passes through and is refracted onto the Moon, as ESA describes it. In effect the Moon is lit by all the sunrises and sunsets on Earth at that moment. That is the "blood moon", and it is completely harmless to look at.
A solar eclipse has no such glow on the Sun. At totality you see the Sun's corona, its outer atmosphere, as pale streamers around a black disc. It is visible only during totality, which is one reason people travel to the path.
Why don't eclipses happen every month?
The Moon is new once a month and full once a month, so you might expect a solar and a lunar eclipse every month. They don't happen, because the Moon's orbit is tilted by about five degrees to Earth's. NASA's teaching material says the tilt "causes the Moon's shadow to miss the Earth during most New Moons, about five out of six." The same tilt makes the full Moon usually pass above or below Earth's shadow.
Eclipses only happen in two "eclipse seasons" a year, when the Sun lines up with the points where the Moon's orbit crosses Earth's. NASA says each season "lasts about 35 days" and repeats just under six months later. Within one season you often get a solar and a lunar eclipse about two weeks apart. The summer of 2027 has three: a very faint penumbral lunar eclipse on 18 July, the total solar eclipse on 2 August, and a penumbral lunar eclipse on 17 August. In 2026 the total solar eclipse of 12 August was followed by a partial lunar eclipse on 28 August.
When are the next lunar eclipses visible from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East?
From now to the end of 2028, NASA's catalogue lists these. Remember that a lunar eclipse needs no glasses at all.
| Date | Type | Greatest eclipse (UT) | Visible from (NASA) | For Europe, North Africa, Middle East |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 February 2027 | Penumbral | 23:12 | Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia | Visible, but only a faint shading of the Moon |
| 18 July 2027 | Penumbral | 16:02 | East Africa, Asia, Australia, Pacific | Practically undetectable (penumbral magnitude 0.003) |
| 17 August 2027 | Penumbral | 07:13 | Pacific, Americas | Not seen here |
| 12 January 2028 | Partial | 04:13 | Americas, Europe, Africa | Visible: a very small bite out of the Moon (umbral magnitude 0.066) |
| 6 July 2028 | Partial | 18:19 | Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia | Visible (umbral magnitude 0.389) |
| 31 December 2028 | Total | 16:52 | Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, Pacific | Visible: totality from 16:16 to 17:27 UT |
Source: NASA Goddard, lunar eclipses 2021 to 2030 (F. Espenak), checked 31 October 2026; totality times for 31 December 2028 from timeanddate. Exact visibility depends on where the Moon is above your horizon at the time.
For comparison, the last two: the total lunar eclipse of 3 March 2026 was not visible from Europe or Africa, and the partial lunar eclipse of 28 August 2026 was.
What do كسوف and خسوف mean in Arabic?
In everyday Arabic, كسوف (kusuf) is used for a solar eclipse and خسوف (khusuf) for a lunar eclipse: كسوف الشمس, خسوف القمر. Classical usage is looser. A fiqh article on IslamOnline notes that both words can apply to either body, but that كسوف may be kept for the Sun and خسوف for the Moon; that is why searches often mix them up.
The same pair appears in the prayer offered during an eclipse, called صلاة الكسوف, صلاة الخسوف or صلاة الكسوفين depending on the source; IslamOnline gives all these names. For the practical question, the rule is the one above: كسوف الشمس, a solar eclipse, needs certified glasses to watch; خسوف القمر, a lunar eclipse, does not. Our Arabic articles always use كسوف for the 2 August 2027 eclipse, because it is the Sun that disappears.
Which myths about eclipses are not true?
- "You need special glasses for a blood moon." No. Lunar eclipses are safe to watch with bare eyes at every stage, says NASA.
- "A lunar eclipse is dangerous for your health or your food." There is no evidence for this. Gulf News, reporting on the September 2025 lunar eclipse, summed up the science: a lunar eclipse "does not impact human health" and eclipses "have no effect on food safety".
- "Sunglasses are fine for a solar eclipse if they are dark enough." No. NASA: "regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the Sun."
- "At 99% coverage you can look without glasses." No. Only total coverage (totality) is safe for bare eyes, and only inside the path.
- "Old eclipse glasses are always fine." Only if they are certified, undamaged and within the period printed by the maker. See can 2026 eclipse glasses be reused in 2027? and fake and non-compliant eclipse glasses.
Is the 2 August 2027 eclipse solar or lunar?
Solar, and total. On Monday 2 August 2027 the Moon will cover the Sun completely along a path from the Atlantic off Morocco and southern Spain, across North Africa, to Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia. The longest totality, 6 minutes 23 seconds, falls in Egypt near Luxor (NASA). Everywhere else in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East sees a partial solar eclipse, which needs eclipse glasses from start to finish. Find your local times in our eclipse timetable for 125 cities, and read why this eclipse lasts so long.
Tember eclipse glasses are certified to EN ISO 12312-2:2015 and carry the CE mark; the certificate and test reports are on our compliance documents page. They come in packs of 4 to 100 pairs. See the glasses.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need glasses to watch a lunar eclipse?
No. A lunar eclipse is safe to watch with bare eyes, binoculars or a telescope at every stage, according to NASA. Eclipse glasses are only for solar eclipses.
What is the main difference between a solar and a lunar eclipse?
In a solar eclipse the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth and blocks the Sun. In a lunar eclipse Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, and Earth's shadow darkens the Moon.
Which is rarer, a solar or a lunar eclipse?
Both happen 2 to 5 times a year worldwide, but a lunar eclipse is seen from about half the planet, while a total solar eclipse is seen only from a narrow path. So from any one place, total solar eclipses are far rarer.
Why is a lunar eclipse called a blood moon?
During totality the Moon turns red because sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere loses its blue light by Rayleigh scattering and the red light is bent onto the Moon, NASA and ESA explain.
Is كسوف or خسوف the right word for a solar eclipse?
In everyday Arabic, كسوف is used for the Sun and خسوف for the Moon, so the eclipse of 2 August 2027 is كسوف الشمس. Classical Arabic sometimes uses either word for both.
Can I look at a solar eclipse without glasses at any time?
Only during totality, when the Moon covers the Sun completely, and only inside the path of totality. During every partial phase, and everywhere outside the path, use eclipse glasses certified to ISO 12312-2.
Sources
- NASA: Eclipses (alignment, Moon phases, visibility)
- NASA: Eclipses, skywatching (lunar eclipse safety, eclipse seasons)
- NASA: Eclipse safety (ISO 12312-2, sunglasses)
- NASA: Types of eclipses
- NASA: What you need to know about the November 2022 lunar eclipse (Rayleigh scattering)
- ESA: What is a lunar eclipse?
- NASA My NASA Data: Why don't we have solar eclipses every month? (five-degree tilt)
- NASA Goddard: Five millennium catalog of solar eclipses and of lunar eclipses (eclipses per year, longest totality)
- NASA Goddard: Lunar eclipses 2021 to 2030
- NASA Goddard: Path of the total solar eclipse of 2 August 2027
- timeanddate: Total lunar eclipse of 31 December 2028
- American Astronomical Society: Eye safety
- IslamOnline (fiqh): صلاة الكسوفين
- Gulf News: Lunar eclipse 2025 myths