As seen from the
Earth, a
solar eclipse is a type of
eclipse that occurs when the
Moon passes between the
Sun and Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks ("
occults") the Sun. This can happen only at
new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in
conjunction as seen from Earth in an alignment referred to as
syzygy. In a total
eclipse, the disk of the Sun is fully obscured by the Moon. In partial and annular eclipses, only part of the Sun is obscured.