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 2001 to 3000 ( 2001 CE to 3000 CE[2]), Earth will experience 2388 solar eclipses. The following table shows the number of eclipses of each type over this period.
Solar Eclipses: 2001 - 3000 | |||
Eclipse Type | Symbol | Number | Percent |
All Eclipses | - | 2388 | 100.0% |
Partial | P | 847 | 35.5% |
Annular | A | 834 | 34.9% |
Total | T | 650 | 27.2% |
Hybrid | H | 57 | 2.4% |
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 30th 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 | 1484 | 100.0% |
Central (two limits) | 1442 | 97.2% |
Central (one limit) | 23 | 1.5% |
Non-Central (one limit) | 19 | 1.3% |
Annular Eclipses | ||
Classification | Number | Percent |
All Annular Eclipses | 834 | 100.0% |
Central (two limits) | 803 | 96.3% |
Central (one limit) | 15 | 1.8% |
Non-Central (one limit) | 16 | 1.9% |
Total Eclipses | ||
Classification | Number | Percent |
All Total Eclipses | 650 | 100.0% |
Central (two limits) | 639 | 98.3% |
Central (one limit) | 8 | 1.2% |
Non-Central (one limit) | 3 | 0.5% |
The longest central[3] solar eclipses of this period are:
Longest Total Solar Eclipse: 2186 Jul 16 Duration = 07m29s Longest Annular Solar Eclipse: 2010 Jan 15 Duration = 11m08s Longest Hybrid Solar Eclipse: 2013 Nov 03 Duration = 01m40s
Long Annular Solar Eclipses are relatively rare. The following catalog lists concise details and local circumstances for all Annular Solar Eclipses with durations exceeding 09m 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 09529 2010 Jan 15 07:07:39 66 124 141 A 0.4002 0.9190 1.6N 69.3E 66 165 333 11m08s 09569 2028 Jan 26 15:08:59 82 347 141 A 0.3901 0.9208 3.0N 51.5W 67 161 323 10m27s 09609 2046 Feb 05 23:06:26 103 570 141 A 0.3765 0.9232 4.8N 171.3W 68 157 310 09m42s 09764 2113 Dec 08 09:03:27 209 1409 134 A 0.5049 0.9296 7.1N 48.8E 60 191 304 09m35s 09766 2114 Nov 27 08:24:15 211 1421 144 A -0.1815 0.9223 31.3S 48.2E 79 17 298 09m15s 09804 2131 Dec 19 17:06:51 245 1632 134 A 0.5165 0.9267 7.6N 72.9W 59 186 321 10m14s 09806 2132 Dec 07 16:18:43 248 1644 144 A -0.1661 0.9215 32.2S 68.1W 80 13 301 09m33s 09846 2149 Dec 30 01:13:04 285 1855 134 A 0.5253 0.9245 8.6N 164.6E 58 182 334 10m42s 09848 2150 Dec 19 00:17:02 288 1867 144 A -0.1535 0.9211 32.3S 174.8E 81 8 302 09m46s 09888 2168 Jan 10 09:19:03 329 2078 134 A 0.5337 0.9230 10.3N 42.0E 58 178 344 10m55s 09890 2168 Dec 29 08:19:33 331 2090 144 A -0.1444 0.9215 31.6S 56.6E 82 2 300 09m52s 09932 2186 Jan 20 17:23:44 375 2301 134 A 0.5426 0.9221 12.8N 80.4W 57 174 350 10m53s 09934 2187 Jan 09 16:23:41 378 2313 144 A -0.1365 0.9224 30.0S 62.3W 82 358 296 09m51s 09977 2204 Feb 02 01:25:26 424 2524 134 A 0.5535 0.9218 16.0N 157.7E 56 170 353 10m38s 09979 2205 Jan 21 00:27:32 427 2536 144 A -0.1281 0.9241 27.5S 178.5E 82 353 289 09m42s 10021 2222 Feb 12 09:23:18 474 2747 134 A 0.5669 0.9220 20.0N 36.6E 55 166 355 10m14s 10023 2223 Feb 01 08:29:43 477 2759 144 A -0.1180 0.9263 24.1S 59.1E 83 349 279 09m26s 10059 2237 Oct 19 19:06:04 519 2941 147 A 0.0295 0.9316 8.6S 107.7W 88 196 256 09m07s 10065 2240 Feb 23 17:14:11 525 2970 134 A 0.5859 0.9228 24.7N 83.0W 54 163 356 09m41s 10067 2241 Feb 11 16:28:39 528 2982 144 A -0.1046 0.9292 19.9S 60.1W 84 347 267 09m04s 10103 2255 Oct 31 02:32:04 568 3164 147 A -0.0088 0.9295 14.5S 140.1E 89 11 264 09m24s 10110 2258 Mar 06 00:58:23 574 3193 134 A 0.6101 0.9239 30.2N 158.7E 52 160 359 09m04s 10148 2273 Nov 10 10:07:17 617 3387 147 A -0.0398 0.9278 19.6S 26.2E 88 10 272 09m34s 10194 2291 Nov 21 17:50:53 669 3610 147 A -0.0644 0.9263 23.7S 89.0W 86 7 278 09m41s 10239 2309 Dec 03 01:42:05 722 3833 147 A -0.0832 0.9254 26.9S 154.5E 85 3 282 09m40s 10284 2327 Dec 14 09:39:47 778 4056 147 A -0.0969 0.9250 28.8S 36.9E 84 358 284 09m34s 10330 2345 Dec 24 17:41:04 836 4279 147 Am -0.1081 0.9252 29.7S 81.2W 84 353 284 09m21s 10376 2364 Jan 05 01:46:48 895 4502 147 A -0.1161 0.9259 29.4S 159.6E 83 348 281 09m03s 10604 2458 Dec 06 09:14:46 1242 5676 159 A 0.5280 0.9311 9.5N 44.5E 58 181 303 09m34s 10647 2476 Dec 16 17:15:18 1314 5899 159 A 0.5154 0.9282 7.7N 76.5W 59 176 314 10m04s 10670 2486 Nov 26 11:15:08 1355 6022 150 A 0.3363 0.9294 2.1S 19.0E 70 195 280 09m26s 10689 2494 Dec 28 01:19:29 1389 6122 159 A 0.5061 0.9257 6.9N 161.7E 60 172 323 10m22s 10712 2504 Dec 07 19:10:09 1430 6245 150 A 0.3535 0.9289 2.3S 99.7W 69 191 284 09m46s 10731 2513 Jan 08 09:25:23 1465 6345 159 A 0.4982 0.9240 7.0N 39.5E 60 168 329 10m25s 10753 2522 Dec 19 03:10:40 1508 6468 150 A 0.3668 0.9289 2.0S 140.2E 68 187 286 09m58s 10771 2531 Jan 19 17:31:19 1543 6568 159 A 0.4908 0.9228 7.9N 82.7W 61 163 332 10m17s 10794 2540 Dec 29 11:15:59 1587 6691 150 A 0.3765 0.9295 1.0S 18.7E 68 182 285 09m57s 10811 2549 Jan 30 01:34:51 1623 6791 159 A 0.4815 0.9223 9.4N 155.8E 61 159 331 10m00s 10834 2559 Jan 09 19:24:29 1668 6914 150 A 0.3841 0.9308 0.6N 103.6W 67 178 280 09m43s 10851 2567 Feb 10 09:35:51 1706 7014 159 A 0.4703 0.9223 11.4N 35.0E 62 156 328 09m37s 10874 2577 Jan 20 03:35:00 1752 7137 150 A 0.3901 0.9326 2.8N 133.4E 67 174 273 09m18s 10891 2585 Feb 20 17:31:56 1790 7237 159 A 0.4550 0.9230 13.8N 84.5W 63 153 321 09m11s 11128 2690 Jan 02 18:52:25 2319 8534 162 A -0.2360 0.9226 36.6S 92.9W 76 1 301 09m17s 11170 2708 Jan 15 02:56:17 2417 8757 162 A -0.2277 0.9212 34.6S 148.9E 77 356 306 09m38s 11212 2726 Jan 25 10:59:24 2517 8980 162 A -0.2189 0.9206 31.7S 30.3E 77 351 308 09m52s 11255 2744 Feb 05 19:00:30 2619 9203 162 A -0.2086 0.9205 28.0S 88.4W 78 348 308 10m01s 11300 2762 Feb 16 02:58:17 2723 9426 162 A -0.1959 0.9211 23.6S 152.9E 79 345 304 10m04s 11345 2780 Feb 27 10:51:54 2829 9649 162 A -0.1801 0.9221 18.6S 34.7E 80 343 299 10m03s 11381 2794 Nov 14 20:57:54 2917 9831 165 Am 0.0620 0.9329 14.8S 125.8W 87 189 251 09m02s 11390 2798 Mar 09 18:37:54 2937 9872 162 A -0.1580 0.9238 13.1S 82.1W 81 343 291 09m57s
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 11426 2812 Nov 25 04:39:02 3027 10054 165 A 0.0341 0.9292 18.9S 119.6E 88 185 266 09m33s 11428 2813 Nov 14 04:02:23 3033 10066 175 A 0.7331 0.9276 28.6N 135.6E 43 190 398 09m04s 11435 2816 Mar 20 02:17:34 3047 10095 162 A -0.1307 0.9259 7.2S 162.3E 82 342 281 09m48s 11471 2830 Dec 06 12:27:18 3138 10277 165 A 0.0124 0.9261 21.8S 3.7E 89 181 278 09m57s 11473 2831 Nov 25 11:44:06 3144 10289 175 A 0.7040 0.9270 24.1N 17.7E 45 185 386 09m32s 11480 2834 Mar 31 09:48:16 3159 10318 162 A -0.0959 0.9284 1.0S 48.7E 84 343 270 09m33s 11517 2848 Dec 16 20:21:20 3252 10500 165 A -0.0045 0.9233 23.7S 113.1W 90 358 289 10m13s 11519 2849 Dec 05 19:34:20 3258 10512 175 A 0.6814 0.9266 20.7N 101.9W 47 181 377 09m51s 11526 2852 Apr 10 17:12:01 3273 10541 162 A -0.0555 0.9310 5.4N 63.2W 87 344 258 09m13s 11563 2866 Dec 28 04:18:59 3367 10723 165 A -0.0184 0.9213 24.4S 129.4E 89 352 298 10m19s 11565 2867 Dec 17 03:31:29 3374 10735 175 A 0.6635 0.9266 18.4N 137.2E 48 176 369 09m55s 11610 2885 Jan 07 12:20:24 3485 10946 165 A -0.0289 0.9197 23.9S 11.0E 88 348 304 10m20s 11612 2885 Dec 27 11:34:23 3491 10958 175 A 0.6500 0.9270 17.1N 15.1E 49 172 360 09m46s 11657 2903 Jan 19 20:22:19 3605 11169 165 A -0.0391 0.9189 22.6S 107.7W 88 343 308 10m12s 11659 2904 Jan 08 19:40:31 3611 11181 175 A 0.6386 0.9281 16.7N 107.7W 50 167 348 09m24s 11703 2921 Jan 30 04:24:58 3726 11392 165 A -0.0482 0.9187 20.3S 133.2E 87 339 309 10m01s 11748 2939 Feb 10 12:23:38 3850 11615 165 A -0.0607 0.9191 17.6S 14.7E 86 336 307 09m45s 11792 2957 Feb 20 20:20:31 3976 11838 165 A -0.0746 0.9201 14.5S 103.6W 86 333 303 09m28s 11836 2975 Mar 04 04:11:02 4103 12061 165 A -0.0939 0.9217 11.3S 139.5E 85 332 297 09m10s 11871 2989 Nov 19 14:25:04 4209 12243 168 A 0.2155 0.9283 7.8S 18.6W 78 198 275 09m23s
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)"