15-03-2025
How long until the next eclipse? Upcoming solar, lunar eclipses in Florida through 2030
Now that the total lunar eclipse has come and gone, what is there to look forward to in the night sky?
As always, on a clear night, you can likely see with the naked eye some planets, nebula, meteors, constellations, bright stars, satellites such as the International Space Station and the moon in its various phases.
Summer stargazing may even mean seeing the Milky Way; the Coma Cluster; meteor showers such as the Perseids that peak in August; and the constellations of Scorpius, Cygnus, Cassiopeia, the Summer Triangle and Sagittarius and its Teapot, according to NASA.
Here are upcoming eclipses that may be visible on the Treasure Coast.
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An eclipse is a celestial event when the sun, moon and Earth line up in space. When this happens, one celestial body covers another, causing the absence of light coming through, producing the two eclipses seen on Earth — solar and lunar.
A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, casting a shadow that fully or partially blocks sunlight in some areas.
This is a rare occurrence happening twice a year, during eclipse season, because the moon doesn't orbit in the same plane as Earth and the sun, according to NASA.
A lunar eclipse occurs during the full moon phase when the Earth is positioned exactly between the moon and sun. The Earth casts a shadow on the surface of the moon, dimming it.
The moon doesn't produce light. It shines because its surface reflects the sun's rays. So when the Earth blocks the sun, a lunar eclipse occurs.
March 3, 2026: Total lunar eclipse
Aug. 28, 2026: Partial lunar eclipse
Feb. 20, 2027: Penumbral lunar eclipse
Aug. 17, 2027: Penumbral lunar eclipse
Jan. 12, 2028: Partial lunar eclipse
Jan. 26, 2028: Partial solar eclipse
Jan 14. 2029: Partial solar eclipse
June 26, 2029: Total lunar eclipse
Dec. 20, 2029: Total lunar eclipse
Dec. 9, 2030: Penumbral lunar eclipse
Florida's 2045 eclipse will be 2 hours and 42 minutes, beginning at 12:12 p.m. for Indian River and St. Lucie counties and 12:13 p.m. for Martin County, with 100% obscuration, according to Time and Date AS.
When totality hits in 2045, the sun will disappear, the sky will darken, animals will go into nocturnal mode and temperatures will drop, according to Indian River State College associate astronomy professor Jon Bell. When the sun disappears, people within the band of totality can safely view the sun with an unaided eye, cameras or telescopes for about six minutes, the duration of totality.
While eclipses have come and gone across our skies in the 21st century, the last time the Treasure Coast experienced a total solar eclipse was almost 107 years ago, June 8, 1918.
Gianna Montesano is TCPalm's trending reporter. You can contact her at 772-409-1429, or follow her on Twitter @gonthescene.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: How long until next lunar eclipse? Solar, lunar eclipses in Florida
