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A solar eclipse occurs when a portion of the Earth is engulfed in a shadow cast by the Moon which fully or partially blocks sunlight. This occurs when the Sun, Moon and Earth are aligned. Such alignment coincides with a new moon indicating the Moon is closest to the ecliptic plane.
Definition A solar eclipse is a natural phenomenon that occurs when the moon’s orbit around Earth brings it directly between Earth and the sun. When the sun, the moon and Earth (in that order) are aligned, the moon prevents sunlight from reaching Earth
When this happens, the Moon blocks the light of the Sun from reaching Earth. This causes an eclipse of the Sun, or a solar eclipse. During a solar eclipse, the Moon casts a shadow onto Earth.