How often does a solar eclipse happen?

Answer 1

There are generally two solar eclipses each year. About half of them are partial, and the remaining ones are divided between full and annular eclipses.

You can look up the catalog of all eclipses from 2000BC to 3000AD on the NASA Eclipse Web Page.

We tend to think of solar eclipses as being much more rare. However, the difference is that a solar eclipse is visible only across a narrow strip across the Earth. Since the Earth is 3/4 covered by water, there is a much higher probability that the eclipse will be visible at sea.

For example, the total solar eclipse of July 11, 2010 will be visible along a path across the South Pacific Ocean, including a few atolls in French Polynesia, Easter Island, and the southern tip of Chile and Argentina.