English: A Solar Eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth , casting it's shadow on the latter as it travels around its merry orbit. But it doesn't occur all that often (often in the sense every month) because the Moon's orbit is tilted by 5° with respect to Earth's orbit around the Sun, hence it goes above or below the Sun each time as a New Moon phase occurs. But things are just right when the Moon aligns in its orbit along with the Earth and Sun (The trio are in a straight line). That's when a Solar Eclipse occurs. This picture shows a partial eclipse (Independent nature is Annular, where the Moon is too far away to completely cover the Sun, and the outer disc of Sun remains visible), where the Moon takes a bite around the Sun.