Solar Eclipse Occurs On New Moon Day. When the moon passes in front of the sun and blocks it completely, it casts a shadow onto our planet turning daytime into night. We're entering 2024's first (and best) eclipse season, during which there will be two eclipses — one of the moon by the earth and one of the sun by the moon.
A solar eclipse can occur only when the new moon occurs close to one of the points (known as nodes) where the moon’s orbit crosses the ecliptic. Solar eclipses occur only during the new moon.