Eclipses of the Sun can only occur during the New Moon phase. It is then possible for the Moon's penumbral, umbral or antumbral shadows to sweep across Earth's surface thereby producing an eclipse. Not all New Moons result in a solar eclipse because the Moon's orbit is tilted about 5 degrees to Earth's about the Sun. Consequently, the Moon's shadows miss Earth at most New Moon's. Nevertheless, there are 2 to 5 solar eclipses every calendar year. There are four types of solar eclipses: partial, annular, total and hybrid[1]. For more information, see Basic Solar Eclipse Geometry.
During the 10 Millennium period -3999 to 6000 ( 4000 BCE to 6000 CE[2]), Earth will experience 23740 solar eclipses. The following table shows the number of eclipses of each type over this period.
| Solar Eclipses: -3999 - 6000 | |||
| Eclipse Type | Symbol | Number | Percent |
| All Eclipses | - | 23740 | 100.0% |
| Partial | P | 8383 | 35.3% |
| Annular | A | 7881 | 33.2% |
| Total | T | 6326 | 26.6% |
| Hybrid | H | 1150 | 4.8% |
Annular and total eclipses can be further classified as either: 1) Central (two limits), 2) Central (one limit) or 3) Non-Central (one limit). The statistical distribution of these classes during the 60th century CE appears in the following three tables (no Hybrids are included since all are central with two limits).
| Annular and Total Eclipses | ||
| Classification | Number | Percent |
| All | 14207 | 100.0% |
| Central (two limits) | 13851 | 97.5% |
| Central (one limit) | 180 | 1.3% |
| Non-Central (one limit) | 176 | 1.2% |
| Annular Eclipses | ||
| Classification | Number | Percent |
| All Annular Eclipses | 7881 | 100.0% |
| Central (two limits) | 7621 | 96.7% |
| Central (one limit) | 131 | 1.7% |
| Non-Central (one limit) | 129 | 1.6% |
| Total Eclipses | ||
| Classification | Number | Percent |
| All Total Eclipses | 6326 | 100.0% |
| Central (two limits) | 6230 | 98.5% |
| Central (one limit) | 49 | 0.8% |
| Non-Central (one limit) | 47 | 0.7% |
The longest central[3] solar eclipses of this period are:
Longest Total Solar Eclipse: 2186 Jul 16 Duration = 07m29s
Longest Annular Solar Eclipse: 0150 Dec 07 Duration = 12m23s
Longest Hybrid Solar Eclipse: 5963 Aug 16 Duration = 01m52s
Long Hybrid Solar Eclipses are relatively rare. The following catalog lists concise details and local circumstances for all Hybrid Solar Eclipses with durations exceeding 01m 30s. The Key to Catalog of Solar Eclipses contains a detailed description and explanation of each item listed in the catalog. For eclipses from -1999 to +3000, the Catalog Number in the first column serves as a link to a global map of Earth showing the geographic visibility of each eclipse. The date and time of the eclipse are given at the instant of greatest eclipse[4] in Terrestrial Dynamical Time. The Saros Number in the sixth column links to a table listing all eclipses in the Saros series. The Key to Solar Eclipse Maps explains the features plotted on each map.
The data presented here are based in part on the Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000.
TD of
Catalog Calendar Greatest Luna Saros Ecl. Ecl. Sun Sun Path Central
Number Date Eclipse ΔT Num Num Type Gamma Mag. Lat. Long. Alt Azm Width Dur.
s ° ° ° ° km
----- -3890 Aug 07 16:12:50 86400 -72843 -46 H3 -0.1909 1.0169 12.8N 65.7W 79 11 59 01m46s
----- -3731 Jul 20 19:06:07 86400 -70877 -43 H3 0.0502 1.0171 27.0N 108.8W 87 173 59 01m42s
----- -3572 Jul 02 22:28:00 86400 -68911 -40 H3 0.0569 1.0166 26.0N 160.1W 87 177 57 01m41s
----- -3413 Jun 16 02:07:25 84484 -66945 -37 H -0.1568 1.0152 10.9N 140.0E 81 340 53 01m33s
----- -3218 Dec 13 12:42:04 78287 -64527 -29 H 0.2311 1.0155 6.8S 42.8W 77 188 55 01m38s
----- -3098 Jul 11 21:19:14 74613 -63048 -23 H 0.0302 1.0156 25.6N 168.7E 88 171 54 01m34s
----- -3080 Jul 22 04:52:22 74066 -62825 -23 H -0.0217 1.0161 22.9N 54.4E 89 355 55 01m39s
----- -3062 Aug 02 12:35:25 73522 -62602 -23 H -0.0659 1.0161 19.7N 62.8W 86 0 55 01m41s
----- -3044 Aug 12 20:27:59 72980 -62379 -23 H -0.1028 1.0161 16.0N 177.1E 84 5 55 01m42s
----- -3026 Aug 24 04:31:07 72439 -62156 -23 H -0.1318 1.0159 12.0N 53.9E 83 8 55 01m40s
----- -3011 May 11 20:47:06 72000 -61974 -20 H2 -0.2350 1.0169 3.4S 170.5E 76 344 59 01m47s
----- -3008 Sep 03 12:43:53 71901 -61933 -23 H -0.1533 1.0159 7.8N 71.9W 81 12 55 01m39s
----- -2990 Sep 14 21:06:11 71365 -61710 -23 H -0.1675 1.0160 3.5N 159.6E 80 15 55 01m38s
----- -2972 Sep 25 05:35:09 70830 -61487 -23 H -0.1768 1.0164 1.1S 29.3E 80 17 57 01m39s
----- -2954 Oct 06 14:12:24 70298 -61264 -23 H2 -0.1798 1.0172 5.6S 103.0W 80 18 60 01m42s
----- -2766 Aug 30 06:07:36 64870 -58940 -19 H -0.3642 1.0143 3.7S 4.5W 69 11 53 01m31s
----- -2411 Feb 08 21:57:28 55225 -54556 -8 H 0.0037 1.0154 20.4S 85.6E 90 163 53 01m35s
----- -2103 Jul 21 11:42:44 47462 -50741 12 H -0.3919 1.0140 0.8N 162.4W 67 9 52 01m32s
----- -2093 Jan 05 03:24:24 47234 -50624 -2 H 0.3247 1.0150 5.1S 30.3W 71 186 54 01m36s
00363 -1851 Jun 25 00:33:02 41558 -47625 7 H2 -0.5598 1.0145 10.4S 10.6W 56 349 60 01m34s
01275 -1467 Nov 04 13:16:02 33305 -42871 29 H2 0.2581 1.0164 2.9N 121.3E 75 195 58 01m39s
01669 -1297 Sep 17 20:33:36 29948 -40770 33 H3 0.0674 1.0168 10.8N 2.6W 86 197 58 01m40s
02068 -1138 Aug 30 23:28:43 26968 -38804 36 H3 0.0932 1.0168 18.0N 56.9W 85 206 58 01m32s
02448 -0979 Aug 13 02:47:53 24145 -36838 39 H3 -0.2387 1.0168 4.5N 123.0W 76 10 59 01m48s
03183 -0661 Jul 09 10:36:00 18910 -32906 45 H3 -0.4659 1.0146 4.3S 100.3E 62 358 56 01m38s
03748 -0437 Dec 17 10:19:56 15537 -30130 54 H3 0.1286 1.0173 16.2S 91.0E 83 190 60 01m45s
03791 -0419 Dec 27 19:00:22 15293 -29907 54 H 0.1333 1.0160 16.2S 39.4W 82 185 55 01m39s
03833 -0400 Jan 08 03:36:41 15052 -29684 54 H 0.1409 1.0152 15.1S 168.9W 82 180 53 01m35s
03875 -0382 Jan 18 12:05:58 14815 -29461 54 H 0.1538 1.0147 12.9S 63.2E 81 176 51 01m33s
03883 -0379 May 13 05:25:04 14772 -29420 51 H3 -0.4803 1.0155 9.8S 169.2E 61 338 60 01m34s
03916 -0364 Jan 29 20:27:34 14581 -29238 54 H 0.1722 1.0144 9.5S 63.3W 80 172 50 01m31s
03955 -0346 Feb 09 04:40:17 14351 -29015 54 H 0.1973 1.0142 5.1S 172.0E 79 169 50 01m30s
04023 -0316 Jul 04 10:53:21 13970 -28639 70 H3 -0.5847 1.0137 12.0S 69.4E 54 8 58 01m30s
04029 -0314 Nov 07 18:59:06 13941 -28610 57 H3 -0.3363 1.0168 34.7S 54.9W 70 15 61 01m30s
04045 -0307 Dec 18 23:08:59 13853 -28522 56 H 0.3218 1.0156 5.0S 106.6W 71 188 57 01m38s
04192 -0241 Jun 15 13:05:26 13066 -27712 62 H2 0.1836 1.0160 34.0N 36.8E 79 181 56 01m34s
04522 -0100 May 17 10:37:31 11489 -25969 65 H2 -0.1912 1.0170 8.4N 70.5E 79 340 59 01m44s
05960 0508 Sep 11 02:53:05 5576 -18445 91 H3 0.0826 1.0173 8.6N 160.3E 85 198 59 01m45s
06855 0881 Mar 04 03:08:22 2336 -13838 102 H2 -0.3624 1.0167 25.1S 152.5E 69 341 61 01m35s
07217 1040 Feb 15 06:17:48 1389 -11872 105 H2 0.1916 1.0169 1.0S 90.2E 79 154 59 01m35s
07475 1144 Jul 02 19:15:50 913 -10581 103 H -0.3949 1.0145 0.8S 104.9W 67 1 54 01m39s
07612 1199 Jan 28 09:05:27 745 -9906 108 H2 0.0033 1.0174 16.2S 50.6E 90 156 60 01m45s
07686 1228 Jan 08 22:42:54 659 -9548 109 H3 -0.0068 1.0176 21.6S 155.0W 89 348 60 01m40s
07731 1246 Jan 19 07:20:33 605 -9325 109 H -0.0150 1.0166 19.6S 76.3E 89 342 57 01m34s
07978 1350 Nov 30 07:34:51 374 -8028 112 H3 0.2227 1.0166 10.3S 68.8E 77 191 58 01m42s
08141 1423 Jul 08 00:48:40 263 -7130 117 H2 -0.1158 1.0161 15.0N 169.6E 83 4 55 01m45s
08269 1480 Dec 01 20:30:38 196 -6420 114 H2 0.4218 1.0155 1.5N 124.0W 65 189 58 01m37s
08459 1564 Jun 08 22:26:49 129 -5387 120 H2 0.1253 1.0174 30.8N 155.5W 83 185 60 01m44s
08800 1705 May 22 19:55:06 8 -3644 123 Hm -0.1525 1.0147 12.2N 117.0W 81 343 51 01m32s
09104 1825 Dec 09 20:21:45 9 -2153 139 H2 0.5296 1.0148 9.2N 127.4W 58 180 60 01m34s
TD of
Catalog Calendar Greatest Luna Saros Ecl. Ecl. Sun Sun Path Central
Number Date Eclipse ΔT Num Num Type Gamma Mag. Lat. Long. Alt Azm Width Dur.
s ° ° ° ° km
09538 2013 Nov 03 12:47:36 67 171 143 H3 0.3272 1.0159 3.5N 11.7W 71 192 58 01m40s
09900 2172 Oct 17 16:01:36 341 2137 146 H3 -0.1484 1.0174 17.3S 66.7W 81 28 60 01m34s
10430 2386 Apr 29 12:32:25 972 4778 154 H2 -0.5483 1.0146 18.1S 2.8E 57 347 60 01m30s
11817 2967 Jul 28 13:27:22 4049 11967 161 H3 -0.4892 1.0147 10.4S 7.0W 61 8 58 01m37s
----- 3022 Feb 23 01:36:38 4445 12642 166 H 0.1817 1.0150 0.0N 174.5E 80 165 52 01m32s
----- 3051 Feb 03 15:09:48 4663 13000 167 H3 -0.1910 1.0172 26.8S 20.5W 79 336 60 01m32s
----- 3192 Jan 07 08:58:32 5796 14743 170 H 0.4142 1.0149 2.2N 69.9E 66 179 56 01m36s
----- 3246 Aug 03 19:21:42 6267 15418 175 H -0.2267 1.0136 4.0N 84.5W 77 10 48 01m31s
----- 3264 Aug 14 02:28:00 6427 15641 175 H2 -0.3029 1.0161 3.5S 167.5E 72 13 58 01m45s
----- 3594 Nov 25 12:20:00 9711 19726 197 H 0.3866 1.0140 2.1N 33.9E 67 185 52 01m31s
----- 3612 Dec 05 20:38:08 9910 19949 197 H 0.3608 1.0145 1.2S 90.6W 69 181 53 01m34s
----- 3630 Dec 17 05:04:24 10110 20172 197 H 0.3413 1.0151 3.2S 143.2E 70 177 55 01m37s
----- 3648 Dec 27 13:35:41 10313 20395 197 H2 0.3253 1.0159 4.3S 15.9E 71 172 58 01m41s
----- 3667 Jan 07 22:13:32 10518 20618 197 H2 0.3144 1.0171 4.2S 112.8W 72 168 62 01m45s
----- 4349 Oct 26 10:12:49 19746 29063 210 H3 0.4505 1.0159 11.8N 116.7E 63 205 60 01m32s
----- 4563 May 07 06:30:10 23222 31704 218 Hm 0.0897 1.0163 22.1N 177.8E 85 170 56 01m38s
----- 4712 Nov 04 19:01:26 25824 33553 235 H3 0.4688 1.0150 12.0N 3.9E 62 191 58 01m35s
----- 5348 Aug 30 13:50:22 38431 41417 247 H3 -0.0486 1.0162 4.8N 133.5E 87 16 56 01m43s
----- 5471 Jul 24 04:13:56 41155 42937 250 H3 0.0197 1.0169 20.1N 67.9W 89 197 58 01m40s
----- 5562 Mar 12 03:50:08 43224 44058 255 H2 -0.0381 1.0169 5.5S 55.1W 88 332 58 01m31s
----- 5576 Nov 27 12:01:28 43565 44240 258 H 0.0704 1.0151 17.2S 179.1E 86 195 52 01m32s
----- 5591 Feb 20 17:25:32 43896 44416 256 H 0.0564 1.0162 7.8S 102.6E 87 165 55 01m38s
----- 5594 Dec 08 19:55:50 43984 44463 258 H 0.1151 1.0153 16.0S 63.2E 83 191 53 01m35s
----- 5612 Dec 19 03:58:11 44405 44686 258 H 0.1534 1.0155 14.3S 55.0W 81 186 54 01m38s
----- 5630 Dec 30 12:09:05 44829 44909 258 H 0.1854 1.0156 12.1S 175.6W 79 182 55 01m40s
----- 5649 Jan 09 20:26:37 45254 45132 258 H 0.2121 1.0158 9.4S 61.9E 78 178 56 01m42s
----- 5663 Sep 28 10:34:52 45603 45314 261 H2 0.0421 1.0166 0.9S 148.9W 88 197 57 01m44s
----- 5667 Jan 21 04:51:58 45681 45355 258 H2 0.2328 1.0163 6.2S 62.9W 77 174 58 01m44s
----- 5685 Jan 31 13:23:03 46111 45578 258 H2 0.2492 1.0170 2.7S 170.6E 76 170 60 01m47s
----- 5804 Sep 01 08:19:56 49009 47057 264 H2 0.0025 1.0166 7.0N 98.8W 90 201 57 01m35s
----- 5963 Aug 16 13:17:57 52998 49023 267 H2 -0.1291 1.0175 5.2N 157.1W 83 14 60 01m52s
The Gregorian calendar is used for all dates from 1582 Oct 15 onwards. Before that date, the Julian calendar is used. For more information on this topic, see Calendar Dates. The Julian calendar does not include the year 0. Thus the year 1 BCE is followed by the year 1 CE (See: BCE/CE Dating Conventions ). This is awkward for arithmetic calculations. Years in this catalog are numbered astronomically and include the year 0. Historians should note there is a difference of one year between astronomical dates and BCE dates. Thus, the astronomical year 0 corresponds to 1 BCE, and astronomical year -1 corresponds to 2 BCE, etc..
The coordinates of the Sun used in these predictions are based on the VSOP87 theory [Bretagnon and Francou, 1988]. The Moon's coordinates are based on the ELP-2000/82 theory [Chapront-Touze and Chapront, 1983]. For more information, see: Solar and Lunar Ephemerides. The revised value used for the Moon's secular acceleration is n-dot = -25.858 arc-sec/cy*cy, as deduced from the Apollo lunar laser ranging experiment (Chapront, Chapront-Touze, and Francou, 2002).
The largest uncertainty in the eclipse predictions is caused by fluctuations in Earth's rotation due primarily to tidal friction of the Moon. The resultant drift in apparent clock time is expressed as ΔT and is determined as follows:
A series of polynomial expressions have been derived to simplify the evaluation of ΔT for any time from -1999 to +3000. The uncertainty in ΔT over this period can be estimated from scatter in the measurements.
[1] Hybrid eclipses are also known as annular/total eclipses. Such an eclipse is both total and annular along different sections of its umbral path. (See: Five Millennium Catalog of Hybrid Solar Eclipses)
[2] The terms BCE and CE are abbreviations for "Before Common Era" and "Common Era," respectively. They are the secular equivalents to the BC and AD dating conventions. (See: Year Dating Conventions )
[3] Central solar eclipses are eclipses in which the central axis of the Moon's shadow strikes the Earth's surface. All partial (penumbral) eclipses are non-central eclipses since the shadow axis misses Earth. However, umbral eclipses (total, annular and hybrid) may be either central (usually) or non-central (rarely).
[4] Greatest eclipse is defined as the instant when the axis of the Moon's shadow passes closest to the Earth's center. For total eclipses, the instant of greatest eclipse is virtually identical to the instants of greatest magnitude and greatest duration. However, for annular eclipses, the instant of greatest duration may occur at either the time of greatest eclipse or near the sunrise and sunset points of the eclipse path.
Special thanks to Dan McGlaun for extracting the individual eclipse maps from the Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000 for use in this catalog.
The Besselian elements used in the predictions were kindly provided by Jean Meeus. All eclipse calculations are by Fred Espenak, and he assumes full responsibility for their accuracy. Some of the information presented on this web site is based on data originally published in Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000
Permission is freely granted to reproduce this data when accompanied by an acknowledgment:
"Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak and Jean Meeus (NASA's GSFC)"
