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Solar Eclipses: 1991 - 2000 (original) (raw)

Fred Espenak

A concise summary of all solar eclipses from 1991 through 2000 is presented in the table below. The first column gives the Calendar Date of the instant on greatest eclipse. The second column TD of Greatest Eclipse is the Terrestrial Dynamical Time when the axis of the Moon's shadow passes closest to Earth's center. The third column lists the Eclipse Type which is either Total, Annular, Hybrid[2] or Partial.

Eclipses recur over the Saros cycle, a period of approximately 18 years 11 days. Each eclipse belongs to the Saros Series shown in column 4. The Eclipse Magnitude[3] gives the fraction of the Sun's diameter obscured at the instant of greatest eclipse (column 5). For total and annular eclipses the Central Duration[4] gives the length of the eclipse as seen from the central line at greatest eclipse (column 6). Finally, the Geographic Region of Eclipse Visibility[5] provides a brief description of where each eclipse will be seen. Countries and regions within the path of total or annular eclipses are listed inside [ ] brackets.

Several fields in the summary table provide links to additional information and graphics for each eclipse. A map for an eclipse may be seen by clicking on the Calendar Date. The orthographic projection map of Earth shows the region of visibility for the eclipse. The path of the Moon's penumbral shadow (cyan and magenta) covers the region of partial eclipse. The track of the umbral or antumbral shadow (blue/red) defines the path of total or annular eclipse. These maps are described in greater detail in the Key to Solar Eclipse Maps. Each map is stored as a GIF of approximately 60 kilobytes.

Animations of the Moon's penumbral and umbral shadows across Earth are accessed by clicking on the TD of Greatest Eclipse. Each animated GIF file is 40 KB to 175 KB in size. For total, annular and hybrid eclipses, the cental path can be viewed on an interactive Google map through the Eclipse Type link. You can pan and zoom in to any location along the eclipse track. When you click on a position, a marker appears with the eclipse contact times and duration of totality (or annularity) for that location.

The Eclipse Type link opens a new window with the central eclipse path plotted on an interactive Google Map. The northern and southern limits of the eclipse path are blue while the central line red. The yellow lines crossing the path indicate the position of maximum eclipse at 10-minute intervals. You can zoom into the map and turn the satellite view on or off. When you click on a position, the eclipse circumstances and times at that location are calculated and displayed.

All eclipses belonging to a particular Saros Series are listed in a table linked through the Saros number. Tables of geographic coordinates for the paths of all central eclipses (Total, Annular or Hybrid) are accessed by through the Central Duration. The tables include the northern and southern limits of the path as well as the central line.

The Key to Solar Eclipse Decade Table contains a more detailed description of each item in the table.

For more data on solar eclipses during this period, see Catalog of Solar Eclipses: 1951 to 2050.

Geographic abbreviations (used above): n = north, s = south, e = east, w = west, c = central

[1] Greatest Eclipse is the instant when the distance between the Moon's shadow axis and Earth's center reaches a minimum.

[2] Hybrid eclipses are also known as annular/total eclipses. Such an eclipse is both total and annular along different sections of its umbral path.

[3] Eclipse magnitude is the fraction of the Sun's diameter obscured by the Moon. For annular eclipses, the eclipse magnitude is always less than 1. For total eclipses, the eclipse magnitude is always greater than or equal to 1. For both annular and total eclipses, the value listed is actually the ratio of diameters between the Moon and the Sun.

[4] Central Duration is the duration of a total or annular eclipse at Greatest Eclipse.Greatest Eclipse is the instant when the axis of the Moon's shadow passes closest to Earth's center.

[5] Geographic Region of Eclipse Visibility is the portion of Earth's surface where a partial eclipse can be seen. The central path of a total or annular eclipse covers a much smaller region of Earth and is described in brackets [].

Decade Tables of Solar Eclipses

Each link in the following table displays a page containing 10 years of eclipses. Every eclipse has links of global maps, interactive Google maps, animations, path coordinate tables, and saros tables.

Twenty Year Solar Eclipse Path Tables (w/Google Maps)

Each of the following links displays a table containing 20 years of total, annular and hybrid eclipses. Each eclipse offers links to a global map, shadow animation, interactive Google map, path coordinates table, and saros table.

Century Catologs of Solar Eclipses

Each link in the following table displays a catalog containing 100 years of eclipses. Every eclipse has links of global maps and saros tables.

For other centuries, see Five Millennium Catalog of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000

Maps of Solar Eclipse Paths

The World Atlas of Solar Eclipse Paths features maps showing the paths of all total, annular and hybrid eclipses. Each map in the atlas covers a 20-year period. The atlas spans five millennia from -1999 to +3000 (2000 BCE to 3000 CE).

For eclipse maps covering other decades, see World Atlas of Solar Eclipse Paths.

Other Eclipse Maps

• Maps of North American Eclipses: 1851-2100 - Web Page Index
• World Map of Total Solar Eclipses: 2001-2025 - (Medium Res) or (High Res)
• World Map of Annular Solar Eclipses: 2001-2025 - (Medium Res) or (High Res)
• World Maps of Solar Eclipses: -1999 - +3000 - World Atlas of Solar Eclipse Paths
• NASA Technical Publication - Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000

Solar Eclipse Catalogs

• Catalog Solar Eclipses: 2001-2025
• Catalog of Central Solar Eclipses: 1991-2030 (with links to Global Maps and Path Coordinates)
• Five Millennium Catalog of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000
• Five Millennium Catalog of Hybrid Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000
• Ten Millennium Catalog of Very Long Solar Eclipses: -3999 to +6000
• Saros Catalog of Solar Eclipses: Saros 0 - 180
• Five Millennium Solar Eclipse Search Engine - search for all solar eclipses from -1999 to + 3000
• Javascript Solar Eclipse Explorer - calculate all solar eclipses visible from a city

Reproduction of Eclipse Data

Special thanks to National Space Club summer intern Christopher Barrow for his valuable assistance in preparing the geographic visibility data (July 2004).

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:

Fifty Year Canon of Solar Eclipses: 1986 - 2035
and
Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000 (2000 BCE to 3000 CE)

Permission is freely granted to reproduce this data when accompanied by an acknowledgment:

"Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA's GSFC"

For more information, see: NASA Copyright Information