Solar Eclipses Paths Mapped

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A solar eclipse happens when a part of the Earth is covered in a shadow thrown by the Moon, which entirely or partly obstructs light. It happens when the Sun, Moon, and our planet are aligned. Such arrangement matches with a new moon meaning the Moon is nearest to the ecliptic plane. In a total eclipse, the Sun is entirely shaded by the Moon. In annular and partial eclipses, just part of the Sun is eclipsed.

Types of solar eclipse

1. A partial solar eclipse happens when the Moon doesn’t line up entirely with the Sun and partially prevents the sunshine from reaching Earth.
2. Annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon and the Sun are both precisely in line, but both the Moon is further from Earth, or the Earth is nearer to the Sun. When this happens, the apparent size of the Moon is smaller than that of the Sun, and the Sun then looks like a gleaming ring, or annulus, circling the black disk of the Moon.
3. Total solar eclipse happens when the dark shape of the Moon entirely covers the intensely shining light of the Sun. Just the much dimmer solar corona is noticeable when a total eclipse.

Solar Eclipses Paths

The paths of solar eclipses vary for each eclipse and are determined by several factors, including the relative positions of the Sun, Moon, and Earth, as well as the distances and angles between them. The path of totality, where a total solar eclipse is visible, is typically quite narrow, often only a few dozen kilometers wide.

Total solar eclipses, where the Moon completely covers the Sun, occur on average about once every 18 months somewhere on Earth. However, the path of totality for a specific location is much less frequent, typically occurring once every several hundred years. 

The map below shows total and annual solar eclipse paths from 2021 to 2040 created by NASA.

The map below created using an atlas of separate maps from NASA shows the paths total solar eclipses from 1001 to 2000.

Here’s another heatmap created by NASA displaying the density of solar eclipse paths for the 3742 total and hybrid eclipses occurring over Earth in the 5000-year span from 2000 BCE to 3000 CE. The map has a pixel resolution of 4 minutes (1/15 of a degree) for both latitude and longitude.

This map also provides an estimate for the average time between two total eclipses at specific locations. On average, each pixel on the map experiences 13.66 eclipses. Dividing 5000 years by this figure yields an average of approximately 366 years between eclipses. This estimate falls almost precisely midway between the 360-year estimate by Russel et al. in their 1926 astronomy textbook and the 375-year estimate by Jean Meeus in a 1982 paper published in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association.

Solar eclipses in the twenty-first century

There will be 224 solar eclipses during the twenty-first century, of which 77 will be partial, 72 will be annular, 68 will be complete, and seven will be combinations between total and annular eclipses. The highest number of eclipses in one year is four, in 2011, 2029, 2047, 2065, 2076, and 2094. Here is the listing of solar eclipses in the twenty-first century.

June 21 (2001); December 14 (2001); June 10 (2002); December 4 (2002); May 31 (2003); November 23 (2003); April 19 (2004); October 14 (2004); April 8 (2005); October 3 (2005); March 29 (2006); September 22 (2006); March 19 (2007); September 11 (2007); February 7 (2008); August 1 (2008); January 26 (2009); July 22 (2009); January 15 (2010); July 11 (2010); January 4 (2011); June 1 (2011); July 1 (2011); November 25 (2011); May 20 (2012); November 13 (2012); May 10 (2013); November 3 (2013); April 29 (2014); October 23 (2014); March 20 (2015); September 13 (2015); March 9 (2016); September 1 (2016); February 26 (2017); August 21 (2017); February 15 (2018); July 13 (2018); August 11 (2018); January 6 (2019); July 2 (2019); December 26 (2019); June 21 (2020); December 14 (2020); June 10 (2021); December 4 (2021); April 30 (2022); October 25 (2022); April 20 (2023); October 14 (2023); April 8 (2024); October 2 (2024); March 29 (2025); September 21 (2025); February 17 (2026); August 12 (2026); February 6 (2027); August 2 (2027); January 26 (2028); July 22 (2028); January 14 (2029); June 12 (2029); July 11 (2029); December 5 (2029); June 1 (2030); November 25 (2030); May 21 (2031); November 14 (2031); May 9 (2032); November 3 (2032); March 30 (2033); September 23 (2033); March 20 (2034); September 12 (2034); March 9 (2035); September 2 (2035); February 27 (2036); July 23 (2036); August 21 (2036); January 16 (2037); July 13 (2037); January 5 (2038); July 2 (2038); December 26 (2038); June 21 (2039); December 15 (2039); May 11 (2040); November 4 (2040); April 30 (2041); October 25 (2041); April 20 (2042); October 14 (2042); April 9 (2043); October 3 (2043); February 28 (2044); August 23 (2044); February 16 (2045); August 12 (2045); February 5 (2046); August 2 (2046); January 26 (2047); June 23 (2047); July 22 (2047); December 16 (2047); June 11 (2048); December 5 (2048); May 31 (2049); November 25 (2049); May 20 (2050); November 14 (2050); April 11 (2051); October 4 (2051); March 30 (2052); September 22 (2052); March 20 (2053); September 12 (2053); March 9 (2054); August 3 (2054); September 2 (2054); January 27 (2055); July 24 (2055); January 16 (2056); July 12 (2056); January 5 (2057); July 1 (2057); December 26 (2057); May 22 (2058); June 21 (2058); November 16 (2058); May 11 (2059); November 5 (2059); April 30 (2060); October 24 (2060); April 20 (2061); October 13 (2061); March 11 (2062); September 3 (2062); February 28 (2063); August 24 (2063); February 17 (2064); August 12 (2064); February 5 (2065); July 3 (2065); August 2 (2065); December 27 (2065); June 22 (2066); December 17 (2066); June 11 (2067); December 6 (2067); May 31 (2068); November 24 (2068); April 21 (2069); May 20 (2069); October 15 (2069); April 11 (2070); October 4 (2070); March 31 (2071); September 23 (2071); March 19 (2072); September 12 (2072); February 7 (2073); August 3 (2073); January 27 (2074); July 24 (2074); January 16 (2075); July 13 (2075); January 6 (2076); June 1 (2076); July 1 (2076); November 26 (2076); May 22 (2077); November 15 (2077); May 11 (2078); November 4 (2078); May 1 (2079); October 24 (2079); March 21 (2080); September 13 (2080); March 10 (2081); September 3 (2081); February 27 (2082); August 24 (2082); February 16 (2083); July 15 (2083); August 13 (2083); January 7 (2084); July 3 (2084); December 27 (2084); June 22 (2085); December 16 (2085); June 11 (2086); December 6 (2086); May 2 (2087); June 1 (2087); October 26 (2087); April 21 (2088); October 14 (2088); April 10 (2089); October 4 (2089); March 31 (2090); September 23 (2090); February 18 (2091); August 15 (2091); February 7 (2092); August 3 (2092); January 27 (2093); July 23 (2093); January 16 (2094); June 13 (2094); July 12 (2094); December 7 (2094); June 2 (2095); November 27 (2095); May 22 (2096); November 15 (2096); May 11 (2097); November 4 (2097); April 1 (2098); September 25 (2098); October 24 (2098); March 21 (2099); September 14 (2099); March 10 (2100); September 4 (2100).

Facts about solar eclipses

• Each year happens there are 2-5 solar eclipses of different types.
• Total solar eclipses are infrequent, occurring just once every 18 months.
• A total solar eclipse can continue for a maximum of 7 minutes and 30 seconds.
• The width of the path of the total solar eclipse is at most 269 kilometers or 167 miles wide.
• The speed of the Moon as it passes across the Sun is about 2,250 km/h (1,398 mi/h).
• From both the North or the South Pole, only a partial solar eclipse can be observed.
• Local temperatures usually drop 20 degrees or more near the total solar eclipse. According to space.com, during the total solar eclipse on December 9, 183, in some areas, the eclipse induced the temperature to fall from 25°C to 10°C (78°F to 50°F).

Safety and precautions during observing solar eclipse

1.  Do not look straight at the sun. 
2. Do not use regular sunglasses or homemade filters to view a Solar Eclipse. Try to find eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers to observe the eclipse. 
3. Before applying the solar filter to observe the solar eclipse, examine it accurately for scratches or damages.
4.  It is not desirable in any eclipse stage to look straight at the sun through telescope binoculars or cameras. Solar beams may get concentrated through this equipment at one point and can induce critical damages to your eyes.
5. Do not stare at the reflection of the sun in the water.
6. The pinhole imaging technique can be applied to observe the eclipse’s reflection on the wall of your home.
7.  If you are driving during a solar eclipse, keep your headlights on. 

If you plan to watch the solar eclipse, all the necessary equipment you can buy on Amazon.