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.
