Which solar eclipse are you?
Are you an iconic total eclipse or an glistening with creativity like an annular eclipse' ring of fire? Take our quick six-question quiz to find out your solar eclipse personality!
What is a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, casting a shadow over our planet and temporarily blocking out the Sun's light! Because the Moon moves around in its orbit, eclipses come in four distinct and fascinating types:
Total Eclipse - The Moon completely covers the Sun, turning day into night.
Annular Eclipse - The Moon passes in front of the Sun whilst at farthest point from Earth, leaving a glowing "ring of fire."
Partial Eclipse - The Moon covers only a part of the Sun, which looks like it's taking a giant bite out of it!
Hybrid Eclipse - A rare combination that shifts between total and annular. This happens because the Earth is curved, and the distance between the Moon and certain points on Earth's surface changes slightly along the eclipse path.
When is the next solar eclipse?
You're just in time! The next solar eclipse will be happening on Wednesday, August 12th. The eclipse will begin at roughly 6pm and end around 8pm.
Before you head outside, make sure you know how to watch a solar eclipse safely.
After more space and stargazing? 🌌
Stars to supernovas, satellites to solar systems, check out all things outer space on CBBC! You can also dive deeper into science, with Operation Ouch and Horrible Science in our fun, funny and enlightening CBBC Science Hub.
Where can I watch Blue Peter? ⛵️
Watch Blue Peter on CBBC or catch all episodes on BBC iPlayer! Here on BP, we LOVE space so much that we've had real life astronauts on the show and of course, lots of science!
Check out when Tim Peake surprised our Book Club fans with some actual moon rock.
And remember, you can play games and quizzes, enter our competitions, get creative with recipes and crafts, and chat to other BP fans over on the Blue Peter page!
