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 4001 to 5000 ( 4001 CE to 5000 CE[2]), Earth will experience 2360 solar eclipses. The following table shows the number of eclipses of each type over this period.
| Solar Eclipses: 4001 - 5000 | |||
| Eclipse Type | Symbol | Number | Percent |
| All Eclipses | - | 2360 | 100.0% |
| Partial | P | 828 | 35.1% |
| Annular | A | 821 | 34.8% |
| Total | T | 653 | 27.7% |
| Hybrid | H | 58 | 2.5% |
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 50th 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 | 1474 | 100.0% |
| Central (two limits) | 1442 | 97.8% |
| Central (one limit) | 19 | 1.3% |
| Non-Central (one limit) | 13 | 0.9% |
| Annular Eclipses | ||
| Classification | Number | Percent |
| All Annular Eclipses | 821 | 100.0% |
| Central (two limits) | 795 | 96.8% |
| Central (one limit) | 15 | 1.8% |
| Non-Central (one limit) | 11 | 1.3% |
| Total Eclipses | ||
| Classification | Number | Percent |
| All Total Eclipses | 653 | 100.0% |
| Central (two limits) | 647 | 99.1% |
| Central (one limit) | 4 | 0.6% |
| Non-Central (one limit) | 2 | 0.3% |
The longest central[3] solar eclipses of this period are:
Longest Total Solar Eclipse: 4009 Aug 04 Duration = 07m12s
Longest Annular Solar Eclipse: 4885 Jan 20 Duration = 11m08s
Longest Hybrid Solar Eclipse: 4563 May 07 Duration = 01m38s
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
----- 4009 Aug 04 10:00:56 14788 24855 197 T -0.3853 1.0785 5.9S 89.8E 67 11 274 07m12s
----- 4027 Aug 15 17:32:59 15033 25078 197 T -0.4580 1.0781 13.4S 24.8W 63 14 283 06m58s
----- 4045 Aug 26 01:04:41 15279 25301 197 T -0.5309 1.0767 21.4S 139.9W 58 16 292 06m34s
----- 4063 Sep 06 08:39:33 15528 25524 197 T -0.6010 1.0747 29.7S 103.7E 53 19 301 06m05s
----- 4249 Sep 21 04:38:49 18213 27825 219 T 0.4512 1.0747 25.8N 166.1W 63 199 270 06m11s
----- 4267 Oct 02 12:21:06 18484 28048 219 T 0.3867 1.0734 17.8N 76.6E 67 198 257 06m19s
----- 4273 May 30 20:49:07 18570 28118 203 T -0.4254 1.0666 2.7S 48.8W 65 347 240 06m10s
----- 4285 Oct 12 20:09:02 18758 28271 219 T 0.3270 1.0714 10.3N 41.7W 71 196 245 06m22s
----- 4291 Jun 11 04:43:03 18844 28341 203 T -0.4801 1.0692 5.5S 166.8W 61 352 257 06m28s
----- 4303 Oct 25 04:02:48 19034 28494 219 T 0.2725 1.0688 3.5N 161.1W 74 194 233 06m17s
----- 4309 Jun 22 12:32:20 19120 28564 203 T -0.5386 1.0712 9.4S 75.9E 57 356 275 06m40s
----- 4318 Jul 12 19:57:48 19260 28676 222 T -0.7031 1.0701 22.1S 47.4W 45 15 319 06m07s
----- 4321 Nov 04 12:02:09 19311 28717 219 T 0.2227 1.0659 2.8S 78.6E 77 191 221 06m07s
----- 4327 Jul 03 20:15:00 19399 28787 203 T -0.6026 1.0725 14.6S 40.4W 53 360 295 06m42s
----- 4336 Jul 23 03:33:03 19539 28899 222 T -0.6329 1.0733 18.1S 161.0W 51 18 305 06m21s
----- 4345 Jul 14 03:54:50 19679 29010 203 T -0.6692 1.0731 20.9S 156.7W 48 4 319 06m33s
----- 4354 Aug 03 11:05:56 19820 29122 222 T -0.5605 1.0759 15.1S 86.6E 56 22 293 06m28s
----- 4363 Jul 25 11:29:11 19961 29233 203 T -0.7401 1.0727 28.5S 87.3E 42 8 351 06m13s
----- 4372 Aug 13 18:38:46 20104 29345 222 T -0.4878 1.0774 13.1S 25.4W 61 24 284 06m28s
----- 4390 Aug 25 02:09:59 20389 29568 222 T -0.4135 1.0782 11.9S 136.7W 66 27 275 06m25s
----- 4408 Sep 04 09:43:57 20676 29791 222 T -0.3414 1.0781 11.6S 111.5E 70 28 267 06m18s
----- 4426 Sep 15 17:19:00 20965 30014 222 T -0.2700 1.0772 11.7S 0.3W 74 29 258 06m11s
----- 4444 Sep 26 00:58:58 21257 30237 222 T -0.2028 1.0756 12.4S 113.3W 78 29 250 06m02s
----- 4531 Jul 28 23:50:53 22687 31311 225 T 0.3772 1.0777 40.1N 75.6W 68 191 271 06m04s
----- 4549 Aug 08 07:25:11 22990 31534 225 T 0.3055 1.0790 32.7N 171.7E 72 194 268 06m25s
----- 4567 Aug 19 14:57:30 23295 31757 225 T 0.2324 1.0795 24.9N 58.6E 76 195 264 06m41s
----- 4585 Aug 29 22:30:10 23602 31980 225 T 0.1596 1.0792 16.9N 55.2W 81 196 259 06m51s
----- 4603 Sep 11 06:03:40 23911 32203 225 T 0.0877 1.0781 8.9N 169.4W 85 197 253 06m52s
----- 4618 May 29 21:34:17 24165 32385 228 T -0.4990 1.0633 8.4S 41.1W 60 357 239 06m01s
----- 4621 Sep 21 13:40:01 24222 32426 225 Tm 0.0184 1.0762 0.9N 75.5E 89 197 247 06m46s
----- 4636 Jun 09 05:33:16 24477 32608 228 T -0.4487 1.0671 3.9S 161.0W 63 1 245 06m24s
----- 4639 Oct 02 21:19:43 24535 32649 225 T -0.0481 1.0737 6.9S 40.3W 87 17 239 06m33s
----- 4654 Jun 20 13:26:19 24792 32831 228 T -0.3932 1.0706 0.1N 81.2E 67 6 250 06m40s
----- 4657 Oct 13 05:03:25 24850 32872 225 T -0.1109 1.0705 14.4S 156.9W 84 16 231 06m14s
----- 4672 Jun 30 21:13:36 25108 33054 228 T -0.3325 1.0736 3.5N 34.8W 71 10 253 06m50s
----- 4690 Jul 12 04:56:23 25427 33277 228 T -0.2676 1.0761 6.3N 149.1W 75 14 255 06m53s
----- 4708 Jul 23 12:34:37 25748 33500 228 T -0.1989 1.0779 8.4N 98.2E 79 18 256 06m50s
----- 4726 Aug 03 20:10:07 26070 33723 228 T -0.1278 1.0789 9.8N 13.5W 83 21 257 06m44s
----- 4744 Aug 14 03:43:33 26395 33946 228 T -0.0549 1.0792 10.6N 124.6W 87 25 256 06m35s
----- 4762 Aug 25 11:16:56 26722 34169 228 Tm 0.0183 1.0786 10.8N 124.5E 89 205 254 06m25s
----- 4780 Sep 04 18:49:06 27050 34392 228 T 0.0923 1.0774 10.7N 13.9E 85 208 251 06m15s
----- 4798 Sep 16 02:23:53 27381 34615 228 T 0.1639 1.0753 10.2N 97.4W 81 209 247 06m04s
----- 4849 Jun 25 09:48:12 28323 35243 231 T 0.1366 1.0728 30.9N 152.8E 82 177 239 06m11s
----- 4867 Jul 06 17:35:37 28661 35466 231 T 0.0757 1.0749 26.5N 38.6E 86 182 244 06m32s
----- 4885 Jul 17 01:16:33 29001 35689 231 Tm 0.0096 1.0764 21.0N 75.0W 89 185 247 06m49s
----- 4903 Jul 29 08:55:01 29344 35912 231 T -0.0588 1.0772 14.7N 171.3E 87 9 250 07m00s
----- 4921 Aug 08 16:28:39 29688 36135 231 T -0.1310 1.0772 7.7N 58.0E 83 12 252 07m03s
----- 4939 Aug 20 00:02:31 30034 36358 231 T -0.2030 1.0766 0.2N 55.9W 78 14 253 06m58s
----- 4957 Aug 30 07:34:10 30383 36581 231 T -0.2763 1.0750 7.7S 169.8W 74 16 252 06m44s
----- 4975 Sep 10 15:06:38 30733 36804 231 T -0.3490 1.0728 15.8S 75.8E 69 18 252 06m23s
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)"
