This book (now in a 5th edition) methodically explains why eclipses of the sun and moon happen, their intricate patterns in time and space - and why they are so exciting.There are page-spreads, with dynamic globe diagrams, for examples of the main kinds of eclipse and several curious cases such as a "broken-ring eclipse", a "geometrically tight eclipse", a "globe-skimming eclipse". There is lingering many-page treatment of two great solar eclipses: the "ideal" one of July 1991 that went over Hawaii, Baja California, and Mexico; and that of August 2017 across the U.S.A. from Oregon to South Carolina.Rich illustrations, including the 12-page "bead curtain" chart of all eclipses from 1901 to 2116; "Eclipse stories" (with some cartoons); eclipses of the future; tables; index.