Solar eclipses occur at least twice a year but can happen up to five times annually, with an average of about 2.38 solar eclipses occurring each year. However, a total solar eclipse is a rarer event for any specific location, happening roughly once every 375 years on average. These events happen during the New Moon when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, but they don't occur every New Moon because the Moon's orbit is tilted relative to Earth's orbit. Solar eclipses follow an 18-year cycle known as the Saros cycle, where similar eclipses repeat. In summary:
- Solar eclipses happen 2 to 5 times a year globally.
- Total solar eclipses at any particular location occur roughly every 375 years.
- The Saros cycle of about 18 years causes eclipses to repeat in a similar pattern.
This cycle and the frequency make solar eclipses relatively common on Earth, but rare and special at any one location.