Solar eclipse of December 4, 2021
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Saturday, December 4, 2021,[1][2][3] with a magnitude of 1.0367. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's and the apparent path of the Sun and Moon intersect, blocking all direct sunlight and turning daylight into darkness; the Sun appears to be black with a halo around it. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. This eclipse was unusual as the path of the total eclipse moved from east to west across West Antarctica, while most eclipse paths move from west to east. This reversal is only possible in polar regions. Its path across Antarctica crossed near Berkner Island, traversed an arc over the continent and passed over Shepard Island.[4][5]
Images
- Animated path
- NASA's DSCOVR Satellite photo
- As observed by the Royal Navy (HMS Protector) off South Georgia
Related eclipses
Eclipses of 2021
- A total lunar eclipse on May 26.[6]
- An annular solar eclipse on June 10.
- A partial lunar eclipse on November 19.
- A total solar eclipse on December 4.
Metonic
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 15, 2018
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 21, 2025
Tzolkinex
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of October 23, 2014
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 14, 2029
Half-Saros
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 28, 2012
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 9, 2030
Tritos
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 4, 2011
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 3, 2032
Solar Saros 152
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 23, 2003
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 15, 2039
Inex
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 24, 1992
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 14, 2050
Triad
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 3, 1935
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 5, 2108
Solar eclipses of 2018–2021
This eclipse is a member of a semester series. An eclipse in a semester series of solar eclipses repeats approximately every 177 days and 4 hours (a semester) at alternating nodes of the Moon's orbit.[7]
Note: Partial solar eclipses on February 15, 2018, and August 11, 2018, occurred during the previous semester series.
Ascending node | Descending node | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saros | Map | Gamma | Saros | Map | Gamma | |
117 Partial from Melbourne, Australia | 2018 July 13 Partial | −1.35423 | 122 Partial from Nakhodka, Russia | 2019 January 6 Partial | 1.14174 | |
127 La Serena, Chile | 2019 July 2 Total | −0.64656 | 132 Jaffna, Sri Lanka | 2019 December 26 Annular | 0.41351 | |
137 Beigang, Yunlin, Taiwan | 2020 June 21 Annular | 0.12090 | 142 Gorbea, Chile | 2020 December 14 Total | −0.29394 | |
147 Partial from Halifax, Canada | 2021 June 10 Annular | 0.91516 | 152 From HMS Protector off South Georgia | 2021 December 4 Total | −0.95261 |
Saros 152
This eclipse is a part of Saros series 152, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, and containing 70 events. The series started with a partial solar eclipse on July 26, 1805. It contains total eclipses from November 2, 1967 through September 14, 2490; hybrid eclipses from September 26, 2508 through October 17, 2544; and annular eclipses from October 29, 2562 through June 16, 2941. The series ends at member 70 as a partial eclipse on August 20, 3049. Its eclipses are tabulated in three columns; every third eclipse in the same column is one exeligmos apart, so they all cast shadows over approximately the same parts of the Earth.
The longest duration of totality will be produced by member 30 at 5 minutes, 16 seconds on June 9, 2328, and the longest duration of annularity will be produced by member 53 at 5 minutes, 20 seconds on February 16, 2743. All eclipses in this series occur at the Moon’s descending node of orbit.[8]
Series members 1–22 occur between 1805 and 2200: | ||
---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 |
July 26, 1805 | August 6, 1823 | August 16, 1841 |
4 | 5 | 6 |
August 28, 1859 | September 7, 1877 | September 18, 1895 |
7 | 8 | 9 |
September 30, 1913 | October 11, 1931 | October 21, 1949 |
10 | 11 | 12 |
November 2, 1967 | November 12, 1985 | November 23, 2003 |
13 | 14 | 15 |
December 4, 2021 | December 15, 2039 | December 26, 2057 |
16 | 17 | 18 |
January 6, 2076 | January 16, 2094 | January 29, 2112 |
19 | 20 | 21 |
February 8, 2130 | February 19, 2148 | March 2, 2166 |
22 | ||
March 12, 2184 |
Metonic series
The metonic series repeats eclipses every 19 years (6939.69 days), lasting about 5 cycles. Eclipses occur in nearly the same calendar date. In addition, the octon subseries repeats 1/5 of that or every 3.8 years (1387.94 days). All eclipses in this table occur at the Moon's descending node.
21 eclipse events, progressing from north to south between July 11, 1953 and July 11, 2029 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
July 10–12 | April 29–30 | February 15–16 | December 4–5 | September 21–23 |
116 | 118 | 120 | 122 | 124 |
July 11, 1953 | April 30, 1957 | February 15, 1961 | December 4, 1964 | September 22, 1968 |
126 | 128 | 130 | 132 | 134 |
July 10, 1972 | April 29, 1976 | February 16, 1980 | December 4, 1983 | September 23, 1987 |
136 | 138 | 140 | 142 | 144 |
July 11, 1991 | April 29, 1995 | February 16, 1999 | December 4, 2002 | September 22, 2006 |
146 | 148 | 150 | 152 | 154 |
July 11, 2010 | April 29, 2014 | February 15, 2018 | December 4, 2021 | September 21, 2025 |
156 | 158 | 160 | 162 | 164 |
July 11, 2029 |
Notes
- ^ Malik, Tariq (December 4, 2021). "The only total solar eclipse of 2021 in pictures: Amazing photos from Antarctica". Space.com.
- ^ "Antarctica experiences year's only total solar eclipse". dw.com.
- ^ McFall-Johnsen, Morgan. "Mesmerizing photos of this year's only total solar eclipse show a rare crescent sunrise over Antarctica". Business Insider.
- ^ "NASA - Total Solar Eclipse of 2021 December 04". eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov.
- ^ Rao, Joe (5 December 2021). "Here's what the only total solar eclipse of 2021 was like from a cruise ship near Antarctica". Space.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021.
- ^ "Explained: Total lunar eclipse and supermoon – the two celestial events on May 26". The Indian Express. 2021-06-01. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
- ^ van Gent, R.H. "Solar- and Lunar-Eclipse Predictions from Antiquity to the Present". A Catalogue of Eclipse Cycles. Utrecht University. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ "NASA - Catalog of Solar Eclipses of Saros 152". eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov.
References
- solar-eclipse.de: The total solar eclipse of 12/04/2021
- Earth visibility chart and eclipse statistics Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA/GSFC
- Google interactive map
- Besselian elements
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