Man preparing to watch the total solar eclipse of 8th April 2024 from Nazas, Mexico. Solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes across the Sun as seen from Earth. This eclipse tracked a narrow band across North America from Mexicos Pacific Coast, north east over the contiguous United States to Southern Ontario, Canada, and the coast of Newfoundland. Solar eclipses usually occur less than once a year, and can only be seen from a small area of the Earths surface.