Composite image of the International Space Station ISS transiting the Sun during the partial solar eclipse of st August Solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes across the Sun as seen from Earth A total solar eclipse tracked across a narrow portion of the contiguous United States from Lincoln Beach Oregon in the north west to Charleston South Carolina in the south east A partial solar eclipse was visible across the entire North American continent Solar eclipses usually occur less than once a year and can only be seen from a small area of the Earths surface Photographed from near Banner Wyoming USANasaJoel KowskyScience Photo Library