A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon shifts in between the sun and the planet Earth. The shadow of the moon travels from west to east across the earth turning the day into the night.

		Total Solar Eclipses 2008 - 2012
	Solar eclipses occur when the Moon shifts in between the Sun and Planet Earth.	Year	Date	Duration	Width	Visible from
		2009	Jul 22	6:38 min	160	India, China, Japan, the Pacific Ocean.
		2010	Jul 11	5:20 min	160	Southern tip of South America.
		2012	Nov 13	4:02 min	111	Australia and the Pacific Ocean.
	Lunar Eclipses occur when Planet Earth is between the full moon and Sun.	Caution: To watch this extraordinary natural phenomenon you need special solar  eclipse glasses to protect your eyes.
	The Moon passes through all it's phases every 29.53 days.