In a solar eclipse, the moon passes in front of the sun, plunging part of Earth into partial or total darkness.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Though the spectacular sight of a total solar eclipse feels like a rare experience, on a planetary scale, the average time between two such events is just 18 months, with some occurring much closer together. Now, thanks to centuries of studying the orbit of the sun and moon, we are able to correctly predict when and where the next eclipse will be far into the future. But for thousands of years of human culture, the lunar crossing of the sun remained as mysterious in cause as it did in location.

In his book "Solar Eclipses" (Reaktion books, 2026), writer and historian of astronomy William Sheehan goes back to ancient times to discover what impact this awe-inspiring celestial dance between the sun and the moon had on ancient civilizations, and how over time we began to understand the science choreographing it.

William Sheehan is a noted historian of astronomy and a writer. His books include "Mercury" (2018), "Saturn" (2019), "Venus" (2022) and "The Solar System" (2025) in Reaktion's Kosmos series. He lives in Arizona, and asteroid 16037 is named Sheehan in his honour.