2007-07-21 14:59:00 · 4 answers · asked by david s 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
About once a year. Some years have none and some have more than one. But each one is only visible from a small part of the Earth, so if you don't chase them, which is to travel to the predicted locations on the correct dates, you miss most of them.
2007-07-21 15:04:35 · answer #1 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Partial eclipses can happen several times a year; total eclipses are less frequent but there is one or more of those nearly every year somewhere in the world - but since the path of totality is so narrow any one location can go for hundreds of years without experiencing a total eclipse.
Solar eclipses follow a regular 18-year cycle around the earth, based on how the moon's orbit changes. It's amazing that some prehistoric cultures were able to predict eclipses as accurately as they did, considering how observations had to be made over generations before any pattern was detectable.
2007-07-21 15:11:10 · answer #2 · answered by hznfrst 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Generally once every 12 to 28 months.
2007-07-21 15:52:44 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are on average about 2.38 solar eclipses per year.
2007-07-21 15:06:33 · answer #4 · answered by Kyle 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋