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 3001 to 4000 ( 3001 CE to 4000 CE[2]), Earth will experience 2365 solar eclipses. The following table shows the number of eclipses of each type over this period.
Solar Eclipses: 3001 - 4000 | |||
Eclipse Type | Symbol | Number | Percent |
All Eclipses | - | 2365 | 100.0% |
Partial | P | 829 | 35.1% |
Annular | A | 741 | 31.3% |
Total | T | 625 | 26.4% |
Hybrid | H | 170 | 7.2% |
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 40th 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 | 1366 | 100.0% |
Central (two limits) | 1324 | 96.9% |
Central (one limit) | 20 | 1.5% |
Non-Central (one limit) | 22 | 1.6% |
Annular Eclipses | ||
Classification | Number | Percent |
All Annular Eclipses | 741 | 100.0% |
Central (two limits) | 710 | 95.8% |
Central (one limit) | 15 | 2.0% |
Non-Central (one limit) | 16 | 2.2% |
Total Eclipses | ||
Classification | Number | Percent |
All Total Eclipses | 625 | 100.0% |
Central (two limits) | 614 | 98.2% |
Central (one limit) | 5 | 0.8% |
Non-Central (one limit) | 6 | 1.0% |
The longest central[3] solar eclipses of this period are:
Longest Total Solar Eclipse: 3991 Jul 25 Duration = 07m18s Longest Annular Solar Eclipse: 3080 Jan 14 Duration = 12m09s Longest Hybrid Solar Eclipse: 3667 Jan 07 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 ----- 3043 Jun 29 05:31:35 4605 12906 163 T -0.4545 1.0636 4.0S 118.8E 63 358 234 06m13s ----- 3061 Jul 09 12:58:57 4742 13129 163 T -0.5262 1.0659 9.7S 5.9E 58 2 253 06m20s ----- 3062 Jun 29 06:07:48 4750 13141 173 T 0.2150 1.0762 35.7N 108.8E 77 178 253 06m16s ----- 3079 Jul 20 20:26:23 4882 13352 163 T -0.5984 1.0673 16.4S 107.8W 53 6 274 06m16s ----- 3080 Jul 09 13:38:50 4889 13364 173 T 0.1427 1.0762 30.4N 2.0W 82 182 249 06m31s ----- 3097 Jul 31 03:53:09 5023 13575 163 T -0.6716 1.0678 23.9S 137.8E 48 10 298 06m02s ----- 3098 Jul 20 21:08:34 5031 13587 173 T 0.0692 1.0755 24.3N 113.5W 86 186 245 06m40s ----- 3116 Aug 01 04:36:29 5174 13810 173 Tm -0.0053 1.0739 17.5N 134.6E 90 15 240 06m41s ----- 3134 Aug 12 12:05:48 5319 14033 173 T -0.0784 1.0715 10.4N 21.6E 86 13 233 06m35s ----- 3152 Aug 22 19:36:07 5467 14256 173 T -0.1499 1.0683 2.9N 92.3W 81 15 225 06m19s ----- 3167 May 11 11:43:44 5589 14438 176 T -0.2868 1.0672 1.4N 29.5E 73 351 229 06m18s ----- 3185 May 21 19:38:05 5740 14661 176 T -0.2338 1.0694 6.9N 89.6W 77 354 232 06m33s ----- 3203 Jun 02 03:26:13 5893 14884 176 T -0.1756 1.0713 12.1N 153.4E 80 358 235 06m40s ----- 3221 Jun 12 11:08:26 6048 15107 176 T -0.1125 1.0724 16.7N 38.4E 84 2 237 06m41s ----- 3239 Jun 23 18:44:34 6205 15330 176 Tm -0.0445 1.0730 20.8N 74.3W 88 7 237 06m34s ----- 3257 Jul 04 02:17:24 6364 15553 176 T 0.0260 1.0728 24.2N 174.4E 88 191 237 06m22s ----- 3275 Jul 15 09:46:23 6525 15776 176 T 0.0997 1.0719 26.8N 64.6E 84 196 235 06m05s ----- 3337 Sep 16 22:31:59 7096 16545 185 T 0.1835 1.0688 12.1N 126.1W 79 198 228 06m06s ----- 3355 Sep 28 06:18:03 7266 16768 185 T 0.1237 1.0678 4.6N 115.9E 83 197 223 06m06s ----- 3373 Oct 08 14:10:28 7438 16991 185 T 0.0690 1.0665 2.6S 3.4W 86 197 218 06m01s ----- 3398 Jun 06 23:36:42 7677 17296 179 T -0.0731 1.0680 18.7N 140.9W 86 349 222 06m09s ----- 3406 Jul 08 13:59:33 7756 17396 188 T -0.4402 1.0647 3.4S 1.1W 64 12 235 06m08s ----- 3416 Jun 18 07:16:16 7853 17519 179 T -0.1383 1.0683 15.4N 105.7E 82 354 225 06m21s ----- 3424 Jul 18 21:28:11 7933 17619 188 T -0.3666 1.0680 0.2S 112.7W 68 16 238 06m17s ----- 3434 Jun 29 14:51:32 8032 17742 179 T -0.2070 1.0679 11.1N 7.3W 78 358 226 06m29s ----- 3442 Jul 30 04:55:23 8113 17842 188 T -0.2915 1.0707 2.2N 136.5E 73 19 240 06m19s ----- 3452 Jul 09 22:21:45 8213 17965 179 T -0.2794 1.0668 5.7N 119.7W 74 2 227 06m28s ----- 3460 Aug 09 12:24:01 8295 18065 188 T -0.2170 1.0725 3.7N 25.7E 77 23 241 06m17s ----- 3470 Jul 21 05:49:57 8396 18188 179 T -0.3529 1.0649 0.5S 127.7E 69 6 227 06m18s ----- 3478 Aug 20 19:53:46 8478 18288 188 T -0.1431 1.0735 4.4N 85.2W 82 25 241 06m12s ----- 3496 Aug 31 03:27:36 8664 18511 188 T -0.0724 1.0738 4.3N 163.0E 86 28 240 06m05s ----- 3601 Jul 13 10:03:36 9784 19808 191 T 0.1860 1.0720 32.3N 73.1E 79 184 238 06m07s ----- 3619 Jul 24 17:33:17 9983 20031 191 T 0.1125 1.0744 25.9N 38.2W 83 188 243 06m30s ----- 3637 Aug 04 01:02:43 10185 20254 191 T 0.0385 1.0760 18.9N 150.4W 88 190 246 06m47s ----- 3655 Aug 15 08:32:56 10388 20477 191 Tm -0.0351 1.0768 11.5N 96.5E 88 14 249 06m55s ----- 3673 Aug 25 16:05:24 10593 20700 191 T -0.1069 1.0769 3.9N 17.6W 84 15 250 06m55s ----- 3691 Sep 05 23:41:10 10801 20923 191 T -0.1763 1.0762 3.9S 133.0W 80 17 250 06m48s ----- 3709 Sep 17 07:20:30 11010 21146 191 T -0.2426 1.0747 11.7S 110.7E 76 18 249 06m33s ----- 3724 Jun 04 23:45:50 11183 21328 194 T -0.2093 1.0635 10.5N 129.3W 78 360 213 06m05s ----- 3727 Sep 28 15:05:07 11222 21369 191 T -0.3045 1.0726 19.4S 6.9W 72 18 247 06m12s ----- 3742 Jun 16 07:29:09 11396 21551 194 T -0.1477 1.0677 14.8N 115.7E 82 4 223 06m20s ----- 3760 Jun 26 15:07:32 11611 21774 194 T -0.0817 1.0713 18.5N 2.6E 85 9 233 06m28s ----- 3778 Jul 07 22:42:11 11828 21997 194 T -0.0123 1.0742 21.5N 109.1W 89 16 241 06m30s ----- 3796 Jul 18 06:14:29 12047 22220 194 Tm 0.0595 1.0765 23.8N 140.3E 86 197 248 06m27s ----- 3814 Jul 30 13:45:51 12268 22443 194 T 0.1325 1.0779 25.2N 30.3E 82 201 254 06m21s ----- 3832 Aug 09 21:15:48 12491 22666 194 T 0.2069 1.0786 26.0N 79.3W 78 205 259 06m13s ----- 3850 Aug 21 04:47:50 12716 22889 194 T 0.2798 1.0783 26.2N 170.6E 74 208 263 06m04s ----- 3919 Jun 11 19:56:40 13594 23740 197 Tm -0.0429 1.0689 20.6N 61.2W 88 350 225 06m11s ----- 3937 Jun 22 03:39:41 13829 23963 197 T -0.1057 1.0722 17.2N 175.2W 84 355 236 06m37s ----- 3955 Jul 03 11:20:05 14065 24186 197 T -0.1713 1.0749 12.8N 70.9E 80 360 246 06m58s
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 ----- 3973 Jul 13 18:54:49 14304 24409 197 T -0.2416 1.0769 7.3N 42.4W 76 4 256 07m12s ----- 3991 Jul 25 02:29:22 14545 24632 197 T -0.3124 1.0781 1.1N 156.3W 72 7 266 07m18s
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)"