Solar eclipses visible from Australia are relatively common. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partially obscuring Earth's view of the Sun. The shadows of solar eclipses often cross the Australian continent due to its large area of over 7.6 million square kilometers. However a view of totality from the continent is rare, with totality occurring over the Australian continent only five times during the 20th century AD, although it is predicted to occur more frequently, eleven times, during the 21st century AD.