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 Total Solar Eclipses are relatively rare. The following catalog lists concise details and local circumstances for all Total Solar Eclipses with durations exceeding 06m 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
07142 1008 May 08 01:04:50 1547 -12265 112 T -0.6940 1.0734 25.1S 176.0E 46 350 330 06m22s
07184 1026 May 19 08:37:49 1457 -12042 112 T -0.6251 1.0758 17.8S 59.0E 51 355 314 06m52s
07206 1035 May 10 08:58:31 1412 -11931 93 T -0.6762 1.0703 21.4S 64.2E 47 340 307 06m00s
07226 1044 May 29 16:06:22 1367 -11819 112 T -0.5525 1.0775 11.1S 56.0W 56 359 300 07m12s
07270 1062 Jun 09 23:34:05 1278 -11596 112 T -0.4793 1.0781 5.2S 170.1W 61 3 287 07m20s
07314 1080 Jun 20 07:00:13 1188 -11373 112 T -0.4047 1.0779 0.2S 77.0E 66 7 275 07m18s
07359 1098 Jul 01 14:28:20 1098 -11150 112 T -0.3320 1.0768 3.8N 35.8W 71 11 263 07m05s
07405 1116 Jul 11 21:56:21 1025 -10927 112 T -0.2594 1.0748 6.8N 147.9W 75 15 251 06m46s
07450 1134 Jul 23 05:29:19 953 -10704 112 T -0.1910 1.0720 8.6N 99.1E 79 19 238 06m22s
07620 1202 May 23 04:06:00 736 -9865 105 T -0.2801 1.0643 6.0N 124.7E 74 346 219 06m02s
07666 1220 Jun 02 11:28:52 682 -9642 105 T -0.3546 1.0670 2.6N 13.7E 69 350 234 06m24s
07712 1238 Jun 13 18:53:33 628 -9419 105 T -0.4280 1.0689 1.7S 98.2W 65 354 248 06m38s
07757 1256 Jun 24 02:17:22 577 -9196 105 T -0.5023 1.0698 7.0S 149.4E 60 359 263 06m42s
07759 1257 Jun 13 19:33:21 574 -9184 115 T 0.2409 1.0765 37.6N 112.8W 76 173 255 06m11s
07801 1274 Jul 05 09:44:26 530 -8973 105 T -0.5742 1.0700 13.0S 35.5E 55 3 278 06m35s
07803 1275 Jun 25 02:59:56 528 -8961 115 T 0.1668 1.0752 33.0N 137.5E 80 178 247 06m21s
07844 1292 Jul 15 17:13:08 484 -8750 105 T -0.6450 1.0692 19.9S 79.7W 50 7 295 06m17s
07846 1293 Jul 05 10:26:45 481 -8738 115 T 0.0933 1.0730 27.5N 26.6E 84 183 238 06m24s
07888 1311 Jul 16 17:55:04 444 -8515 115 Tm 0.0216 1.0700 21.4N 85.5W 89 186 228 06m20s
07929 1329 Jul 27 01:26:16 412 -8292 115 T -0.0471 1.0662 14.9N 160.9E 87 11 217 06m08s
07962 1344 Apr 13 18:11:36 385 -8110 118 T -0.4200 1.0695 12.0S 85.5W 65 345 249 06m15s
08004 1362 Apr 25 01:56:16 356 -7887 118 T -0.3611 1.0717 5.2S 155.8E 69 348 249 06m37s
08045 1380 May 05 09:34:58 327 -7664 118 T -0.2973 1.0732 1.5N 39.1E 73 351 249 06m52s
08086 1398 May 16 17:08:41 299 -7441 118 T -0.2294 1.0741 7.7N 75.8W 77 355 247 06m59s
08126 1416 May 27 00:38:48 273 -7218 118 T -0.1584 1.0742 13.5N 170.9E 81 359 244 06m56s
08166 1434 Jun 07 08:05:20 248 -6995 118 T -0.0847 1.0735 18.7N 59.2E 85 3 239 06m45s
08206 1452 Jun 17 15:30:42 224 -6772 118 Tm -0.0102 1.0719 23.0N 51.4W 90 10 234 06m26s
08245 1470 Jun 28 22:54:56 206 -6549 118 T 0.0650 1.0695 26.4N 161.1W 86 192 227 06m02s
08482 1574 May 20 12:25:42 123 -5264 111 T -0.6763 1.0694 19.7S 3.7E 47 346 305 06m09s
08502 1583 Jun 19 19:39:32 118 -5152 130 T -0.5581 1.0667 10.4S 116.9W 56 4 262 06m23s
08523 1592 Jun 09 19:55:49 113 -5041 111 T -0.7465 1.0705 24.7S 110.4W 42 350 344 06m11s
08525 1593 May 30 13:07:31 112 -5029 121 T -0.0106 1.0696 21.4N 17.1W 90 342 227 06m08s
08543 1601 Jun 30 03:03:59 107 -4929 130 T -0.4826 1.0697 5.3S 130.7E 61 8 259 06m37s
08565 1611 Jun 10 20:34:25 99 -4806 121 T -0.0836 1.0686 18.4N 127.7W 85 350 224 06m16s
08585 1619 Jul 11 10:29:59 92 -4706 130 T -0.4077 1.0718 1.3S 18.6E 66 12 255 06m41s
08609 1629 Jun 21 03:59:24 84 -4583 121 T -0.1580 1.0670 14.5N 121.7E 81 354 221 06m20s
08629 1637 Jul 21 17:57:08 66 -4483 130 T -0.3335 1.0731 1.8N 93.4W 71 16 251 06m37s
08654 1647 Jul 02 11:21:21 50 -4360 121 T -0.2344 1.0643 9.6N 10.9E 77 359 217 06m15s
08675 1655 Aug 02 01:28:36 41 -4260 130 T -0.2625 1.0735 3.7N 154.0E 75 20 247 06m28s
08700 1665 Jul 12 18:44:06 30 -4137 121 T -0.3095 1.0611 3.9N 100.6W 72 3 211 06m02s
08721 1673 Aug 12 09:04:05 21 -4037 130 T -0.1946 1.0731 4.6N 40.6E 79 23 242 06m15s
08766 1691 Aug 23 16:45:57 9 -3814 130 T -0.1317 1.0720 4.5N 74.3W 82 26 236 06m01s
09031 1796 Jul 04 23:02:54 15 -2517 133 T 0.2385 1.0764 36.8N 164.6W 76 180 255 06m15s
09076 1814 Jul 17 06:30:29 12 -2294 133 T 0.1641 1.0774 30.9N 84.7E 80 185 254 06m33s
09121 1832 Jul 27 14:01:06 6 -2071 133 T 0.0919 1.0776 24.5N 27.9W 85 188 252 06m46s
09165 1850 Aug 07 21:33:54 7 -1848 133 T 0.0215 1.0769 17.7N 141.8W 89 191 249 06m50s
09207 1868 Aug 18 05:12:10 2 -1625 133 Tm -0.0443 1.0756 10.6N 102.2E 88 14 245 06m47s
09249 1886 Aug 29 12:55:23 -6 -1402 133 T -0.1059 1.0735 3.5N 15.3W 84 16 240 06m36s
09283 1901 May 18 05:33:48 -1 -1220 136 T -0.3626 1.0680 1.7S 98.4E 69 353 238 06m29s
09291 1904 Sep 09 20:44:21 3 -1179 133 T -0.1625 1.0709 3.7S 134.5W 81 17 234 06m20s
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
09326 1919 May 29 13:08:55 21 -997 136 T -0.2955 1.0719 4.4N 16.7W 73 356 244 06m51s
09369 1937 Jun 08 20:41:02 24 -774 136 T -0.2253 1.0751 9.9N 130.5W 77 0 250 07m04s
09410 1955 Jun 20 04:10:42 31 -551 136 T -0.1528 1.0776 14.8N 117.0E 81 5 254 07m08s
09450 1973 Jun 30 11:38:41 44 -328 136 T -0.0785 1.0792 18.8N 5.6E 86 9 256 07m04s
09489 1991 Jul 11 19:07:01 58 -105 136 Tm -0.0041 1.0800 22.0N 105.2W 90 30 258 06m53s
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)"
