Why are the solar eclipses happening in shorter periods of time?

Question

in the past it didn't happen in short periods but now it happens always

in 2011 another solar eclipse will happen and is it truly a sign of world's end?

Answer 1

The frequency of solar eclipses hasn't changed for millions of years. The end of the world is not imminent.

Answer 2

Not all solar eclipses are the same length.  But their duration can be predicted - it's hairy math, but computers can cope.

In the mean time, the Moon really is moving away from the Earth.  And in a short period of time, it might only be 50,000 years, the Moon will be too far away to cast shadows.  No more eclipses.  It appears to be a cosmic accident that the apparent size of the Moon and the Sun are so close to being the same at this point in history.

But 50,000 years puts the end of the world well past 2012, right?  And that's what this question is about.

Answer 3

Solar (and lunar) eclipses are happening at the same rate now as they did thru-out human history.

All eclipses are just TEMPORARY blockages of sunlight.  There is no cosmological or theological significance to them, and there should not be any sociological either.

Fear of an eclipse is the fear of a shadow.  And if you're scared of a shadow, then you've got real problems.

Answer 4

Solar Eclipses happen about once every other year, and that rate hasn't changed significantly for about 4 billion years.

They just don't always happen where we can see them.  Like this morning's eclipse -- not visible to anyone in the United States.