NASA Solar Eclipse Paths: 2021 (original) (raw)

Google Maps and Solar Eclipse Paths: 2021 - 2040

Fred Espenak

The table below is a concise summary of all total, annular and hybridsolar eclipses from 2021 through 2040 (excluding partial eclipses). The links in the table provide additional information and graphics for each eclipse. In particular, the Eclipse Type (third column) links to dynamic maps showing the central path of eclipses across Earth's surface. These interactive maps utilize NASA eclipse path predictions and the plotting capabilities of Google Maps. The northern and southern limits of each eclipse path are plotted in blue while the central line is red. The yellow lines plotted across 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 times and circumstances at that location are calculated and displayed.

The first column in the table gives the Calendar Date of the instant of greatest eclipse[1]. This links to an orthographic projection map of Earth showing the region of visibility for an eclipse. The path of the Moon's penumbral shadow (cyan and magenta) covers the region of partial eclipse. The track of the umbral/antumbral shadow (blue/red) defines the path of total or annular eclipse. These figures are described in greater detail in the Key to Solar Eclipse Maps. Each figure is stored as a gif of approximately 60 kilobytes.

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. Animations of the Moon's penumbral and umbral shadows across Earth are accessed by clicking the this link. Each animated GIF file is from 40 KB to 175 KB in size.

The Eclipse Type (column 3) is either Total, Annular or Hybrid[2]. The link opens a window with the central eclipse path plotted on an interactive Google Map.

The Central Eclipse Class (column 4) indicates whether an eclipse is central or non-central. The parameters N and S identify paths that have no northern or southern limit, respectively. The link opens a table containing the central path coordinates.

Eclipses recur over the Saros cycle, a period of approximately 18 years 11 days. The Saros series that an eclipse belongs to is found in column 5. All eclipses in a particular Saros series can be viewed in a table via the Saros number link.

The parameter Gamma (column 6) is the perpendicular distance of the Moon's shadow axis and Earth's center at greatest eclipse. The link opens a table containing the Besselian elements for the eclipse.

The **Eclipse Magnitude**[3] (column 7) gives the fraction of the Sun's diameter obscured at the instant of greatest eclipse. The Path Width (column 8) gives the width of the central eclipse path (in kilometers) at the instant of greatest eclipse. The Central Duration[4] (column 9) gives the length of the eclipse as seen from the central line at greatest eclipse.

The Key to Solar Eclipse Path Tables 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: 1901 to 2000.

Central Eclipse Class abbreviations (used above): N = no northern limit, S = no southern limit, AT = annular-total hybrid, TA = total-annular hybrid

[1] Greatest Eclipseis 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. This is the instant when the axis of the Moon's shadow passes closest to Earth's center.

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.

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.

Maps of Solar Eclipse Paths

• World Maps of Solar Eclipses: -1999 - +3000 - World Atlas of Solar Eclipse Paths

• 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)

• 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 1 - 175
• 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

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