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 century period 1001 to 2000 ( 1001 CE to 2000 CE[2]), Earth experienced 2385 solar eclipses. The following table shows the number of eclipses of each type over this period.
| Solar Eclipses: 1001 - 2000 | |||
| Eclipse Type | Symbol | Number | Percent |
| All Eclipses | - | 2385 | 100.0% |
| Partial | P | 837 | 35.1% |
| Annular | A | 767 | 32.2% |
| Total | T | 616 | 25.8% |
| Hybrid | H | 165 | 6.9% |
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 20th 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 | 1383 | 100.0% |
| Central (two limits) | 1353 | 97.8% |
| Central (one limit) | 13 | 0.9% |
| Non-Central (one limit) | 17 | 1.2% |
| Annular Eclipses | ||
| Classification | Number | Percent |
| All Annular Eclipses | 767 | 100.0% |
| Central (two limits) | 745 | 97.1% |
| Central (one limit) | 10 | 1.3% |
| Non-Central (one limit) | 12 | 1.6% |
| Total Eclipses | ||
| Classification | Number | Percent |
| All Total Eclipses | 616 | 100.0% |
| Central (two limits) | 608 | 98.7% |
| Central (one limit) | 3 | 0.5% |
| Non-Central (one limit) | 5 | 0.8% |
The longest central[3] solar eclipses of this period are:
Longest Total Solar Eclipse: 1062 Jun 09 Duration = 07m20s
Longest Annular Solar Eclipse: 1955 Dec 14 Duration = 12m09s
Longest Hybrid Solar Eclipse: 1423 Jul 08 Duration = 01m45s
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 00s. 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
07175 1022 Feb 03 22:00:47 1478 -12095 105 H 0.2142 1.0113 3.4S 145.1W 78 156 40 01m06s
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
07520 1162 Jul 14 02:19:38 854 -10358 103 H -0.4722 1.0091 7.3S 147.1E 62 5 35 01m02s
07567 1181 Jan 17 00:33:25 799 -10129 108 H -0.0073 1.0127 19.8S 178.5E 89 354 44 01m17s
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
07775 1264 Jan 30 15:52:26 557 -9102 109 H -0.0276 1.0159 17.1S 51.2W 88 338 55 01m29s
07818 1282 Feb 10 00:17:59 511 -8879 109 H -0.0451 1.0156 14.3S 177.4W 87 334 54 01m26s
07819 1282 Aug 05 03:35:56 509 -8873 114 H 0.0799 1.0107 19.4N 131.1E 85 204 37 01m01s
07826 1285 Jun 04 16:53:58 502 -8838 106 H 0.4024 1.0143 47.2N 70.9W 66 182 54 01m15s
07861 1300 Feb 21 08:34:00 464 -8656 109 H -0.0698 1.0154 11.5S 58.7E 86 332 53 01m24s
07862 1300 Aug 15 10:57:25 463 -8650 114 Hm 0.1434 1.0115 19.0N 21.9E 82 207 40 01m05s
07903 1318 Mar 03 16:42:11 432 -8433 109 H -0.1003 1.0153 8.8S 63.3W 84 331 53 01m24s
07904 1318 Aug 26 18:27:19 431 -8427 114 H 0.2005 1.0120 17.9N 89.7W 78 209 42 01m06s
07912 1321 Dec 19 18:15:02 425 -8386 111 H -0.1987 1.0115 34.9S 89.2W 78 351 40 01m04s
07944 1336 Mar 14 00:40:15 400 -8210 109 H -0.1386 1.0152 6.4S 177.3E 82 331 52 01m23s
07945 1336 Sep 06 02:06:58 399 -8204 114 H 0.2506 1.0122 16.2N 156.0E 75 210 43 01m07s
07953 1339 Dec 31 02:57:36 393 -8163 111 H -0.2011 1.0147 33.9S 142.4E 78 346 52 01m20s
07978 1350 Nov 30 07:34:51 374 -8028 112 H3 0.2227 1.0166 10.3S 68.8E 77 191 58 01m42s
07985 1354 Mar 25 08:30:20 369 -7987 109 H -0.1829 1.0149 4.4S 59.9E 79 331 52 01m23s
07986 1354 Sep 17 09:54:40 368 -7981 114 H 0.2947 1.0122 14.2N 39.3E 73 210 44 01m07s
08019 1368 Dec 10 16:17:17 345 -7805 112 H 0.2270 1.0135 10.5S 61.7W 77 186 48 01m25s
08026 1372 Apr 04 16:09:02 340 -7764 109 H -0.2359 1.0143 3.1S 54.5W 76 333 50 01m22s
08027 1372 Sep 27 17:53:15 339 -7758 114 H 0.3305 1.0121 11.9N 80.5W 71 209 44 01m07s
08060 1386 Dec 22 01:00:27 317 -7582 112 H 0.2300 1.0109 10.0S 167.6E 77 182 39 01m10s
08061 1387 Jun 16 10:46:23 316 -7576 117 H 0.0416 1.0100 26.0N 19.7E 87 176 35 01m03s
08068 1390 Apr 15 23:40:36 311 -7541 109 H -0.2940 1.0133 2.7S 167.1W 73 335 48 01m19s
08069 1390 Oct 09 02:00:26 311 -7535 114 H 0.3598 1.0120 9.6N 157.3E 69 207 44 01m07s
08101 1405 Jun 26 17:47:04 288 -7353 117 H -0.0370 1.0134 20.9N 84.8W 88 360 46 01m26s
08108 1408 Apr 26 07:02:10 284 -7318 109 H -0.3595 1.0119 3.3S 82.7E 69 338 44 01m13s
08109 1408 Oct 19 10:16:59 284 -7312 114 H 0.3820 1.0121 7.3N 32.5E 67 205 45 01m10s
08141 1423 Jul 08 00:48:40 263 -7130 117 H2 -0.1158 1.0161 15.0N 169.6E 83 4 55 01m45s
08148 1426 May 07 14:17:32 259 -7095 109 H -0.4294 1.0100 5.0S 26.1W 65 341 38 01m03s
08149 1426 Oct 30 18:40:38 259 -7089 114 H 0.3991 1.0123 5.2N 94.2W 66 202 46 01m13s
08189 1444 Nov 10 03:12:20 234 -6866 114 H 0.4102 1.0130 3.5N 137.1E 66 198 49 01m18s
08229 1462 Nov 21 11:49:24 214 -6643 114 H 0.4176 1.0139 2.2N 7.1E 65 194 52 01m26s
08269 1480 Dec 01 20:30:38 196 -6420 114 H2 0.4218 1.0155 1.5N 124.0W 65 189 58 01m37s
08287 1489 Jun 28 20:04:24 188 -6314 128 H3 -0.6440 1.0130 16.8S 127.6W 50 12 58 01m23s
08328 1507 Jul 10 03:06:33 171 -6091 128 H -0.5680 1.0095 12.4S 125.9E 55 16 40 01m01s
08334 1509 Nov 12 10:00:15 170 -6062 115 H -0.4338 1.0131 45.8S 23.1E 64 9 50 01m06s
08418 1546 May 29 15:24:40 141 -5610 120 H 0.0470 1.0133 25.7N 51.1W 87 180 46 01m24s
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
08876 1735 Oct 16 02:10:34 11 -3268 139 H 0.6202 1.0110 28.3N 155.2E 51 198 48 01m02s
08922 1753 Oct 26 10:22:01 13 -3045 139 H 0.5910 1.0115 22.7N 29.7E 54 195 49 01m08s
08967 1771 Nov 06 18:41:02 16 -2822 139 H 0.5676 1.0120 17.9N 97.3W 55 192 50 01m13s
09013 1789 Nov 17 03:08:35 17 -2599 139 H 0.5504 1.0126 14.1N 133.9E 57 188 52 01m19s
09059 1807 Nov 29 11:42:09 12 -2376 139 H 0.5377 1.0135 11.1N 3.9E 57 184 55 01m26s
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
09104 1825 Dec 09 20:21:45 9 -2153 139 H2 0.5296 1.0148 9.2N 127.4W 58 180 60 01m34s
09174 1854 Nov 20 09:56:58 7 -1795 140 H3 -0.5179 1.0144 48.9S 12.7E 59 27 57 01m07s
09197 1864 May 06 00:16:48 6 -1678 126 H 0.2622 1.0146 31.6N 171.5E 75 168 52 01m25s
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)"
