A total eclipse of the Sun occurred on Monday 8 April, 2024 UT, lasting from 15:42–20:52 UT. A dramatic total eclipse plunged the Sun into darkness for 4 minutes and 28 seconds at maximum, creating an amazing spectacle for observers in a broad path up to 198 km wide. It was seen across north-west Mexico, the U.S. from Texas to Maine, and maritime Canada. The partial eclipse was visible over almost all of North America.
The timings of the phases of the overall eclipse
worldwide are as follows. In any particular
place it would have been seen for a significantly shorter
duration as the shadow moved across the Earth:
| Partial eclipse began: |
15:42:07 UT |
| Total eclipse began: |
16:38:44 UT |
| Maximum eclipse: |
18:17:13 UT |
| Total eclipse ended: |
19:55:29 UT |
| Partial eclipse ended: |
20:52:14 UT |
During this eclipse the Sun was 0.532° in apparent
diameter, around average. The Moon was just a day past perigee, making it very large.
At the start and end of the eclipse the Moon
was 0.553°, and at maximum eclipse 0.562°,
which is 5.9% larger than average; hence it covered the Sun,
making this a total eclipse.
The statistics page has information on the ranges of the sizes of
the Sun and Moon, and the Moon data page displays detailed
information on the Moon's key dates.
The eclipse will be visible to millions in Mexico in Sinaloa, Durango, and Coahuila; in the USA from Texas through Ohio, New York, Vermont, and Maine; and in Quebec, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland in Canada.
Pacific
The total eclipse begins at local dawn, 16:39 UT, just south of Starbuck Island in the South Pacific's Line Islands. The path is 144 km (89.5 miles) wide here, and the eclipse will last over 2 minutes.
Mexico
After crossing the Pacific, the path of totality passes south of Mexico's Islas Revillagigedo; Isla Socorro will actually see a total eclipse, although it is somewhat north of the centreline. The eclipse then clips the Islas Marias, and hits the Mexican mainland just south of Mazatlán, at 18:09 UT. Here, the path of totality is 199 km (123.7 miles) wide, and the eclipse will last 4 minutes and 27 seconds.
The maximum eclipse occurs at 18:17 UT, near Nazas, Durango. The total eclipse will last 4 minutes 28.1 seconds, and will be visible over a path 198 km (123 miles) wide.
The path of totality then moves north-east through Durango to Coahuila; Torreón should see the total eclipse about 18:19 UT. The centre of the eclipse crosses the Mexico-US border at Piedras Negras / Eagle Pass, at 18:30 UT. The total eclipse at this point is still 4 minutes and 27 seconds on the centreline.
USA
The total eclipse then heads north-east across the USA, crossing Texas, the south-east corner of Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The centreline of totality will pass just south of Dallas at 18:42 UT, with the total eclipse still over 4 minutes 20 seconds on the centreline. At 18:51 UT, the eclipse will be just south of Nimrod Lake, Arkansas — 21 years later, the total eclipse of August 12, 2045 crosses the same spot; part of the incredible USA eclipse bonanza.
The centre passes just north of Little Rock, Arkansas, before crossing into Missouri; St. Louis is unlucky again, being just north of the eclipse path for the second time in 7 years at 18:59 UT. The eclipse then passes into southern Illinois; it passes just south of Carbondale at 19:01 UT, at which point the total eclipse will last 4 minutes 9 seconds on the centreline, and be visible over a path 186 km (115.6 miles) wide. This same spot saw a total eclipse just 7 years previously, on August 21, 2017.
The eclipse path then crosses Indiana, with the centreline passing just south of Indianapolis at 19:08 UT; it then passes over Ohio, with the centreline passing over the waters of Lake Erie. The centreline will pass almost right over Buffalo, New York, at 19:20 UT; the eclipse duration is down to 3 minutes 45 seconds on the centreline, but that's still spectacular. With the path of totality still 179 km (111.2 miles) wide, Niagara Falls should see a good total eclipse.
Canada, Maine, Canada
After crossing northern New York state, the centre of the eclipse clips Vermont and then passes briefly into Canada, before re-entering the USA in Maine, at
19:31 UT. The eclipse duration here is down to 3 minutes 27 seconds, but that's still a very long total eclipse. The eclipse path then crosses into New Brunswick, and clips the north of Prince Edward Island before passing right over the Magdalen Islands at
19:39 UT — the centreline of totality will pass just north of Fatima, with the duration of the eclipse still over 3 minutes and the path width 167 km (103.8 miles).
Finally, the eclipse passes right over the island of Newfoundland, and then heads off into the Atlantic, to finish over the ocean at 19:55 UT.
Interactive Map
This map shows the visibility of the eclipse.
The shaded area saw the total solar eclipse; however, near the edges of
this area, the eclipse was very short. The bold line shows the centre
of the path, where the eclipse lasted longest.
Use the zoom controls to zoom in and out; hover your mouse over any
point on the centreline to see the time and
duration of the eclipse at that point. You can pan and zoom the map to
see detail for any part of the eclipse path.
The interactive map is currently not available.
Overview Map
This map sourced from NASA Goddard Space flight Center: GSFC Eclipse Web SiteGSFC Eclipse Web Site
The primary source of all the information on eclipses presented here at Hermit Eclipse. (NASA Goddard Space flight Center)
shows the visibility of the total solar eclipse. It also shows the broader area in which a partial eclipse was seen. (Click on it for the
full-sized version.)
Eclipse Season and Saros Series
This eclipse season contains 2 eclipses:
This was the 30th eclipse in solar Saros series 139.The surrounding eclipses in this Saros series are:
This Saros series, solar Saros series 139,
is linked to lunar Saros series 132. The
nearest partner eclipses in that series are:
Eclipse Parameters
| UT Date/time (max) | 18:17:15 on 8 Apr UT |
TDT Date/time (max) | 18:18:29 on 8 Apr TDT |
| Saros Series | 139 |
Number in Series | 30 |
| Penumbral Magnitiude | |
Central Magnitiude | 1.0566 |
| Gamma | 0.3431 |
Path Width (km) | 198 |
| Delta T | 1m14s |
Error | ± 0m08s (95%) |
| Penumbral Duration | |
Partial Duration | |
| Total Duration | 4m28s |
| |
| Partial Rating | major |
Total Rating | major |
| Sun Distance | 149823250 km (56.4%) |
Moon Distance | 359804 km (6.8%) |
| Sun Diameter | 0.532° |
Moon Diameter | 0.553° - 0.562° |
| Perigee | 17:54 on 7 Apr UT |
Apogee | 02:10 on 20 Apr UT |
| Contact p1 | 15:42:07 on 8 Apr UT |
Contact p2 | |
| Contact u1 | 16:38:44 on 8 Apr UT |
Contact u2 | 16:41:02 on 8 Apr UT |
| Max eclipse | 18:17:13 on 8 Apr UT |
| Contact u3 | 19:53:14 on 8 Apr UT |
Contact u4 | 19:55:29 on 8 Apr UT |
| Contact p3 | |
Contact p4 | 20:52:14 on 8 Apr UT |
Note that while all dates and times on this site (except
where noted) are in UT, which is within a second of civil time,
the dates and times shown in NASA's eclipse listingsGSFC Eclipse Web Site
The primary source of all the information on eclipses presented here at Hermit Eclipse. (NASA Goddard Space flight Center)
are in the TDT timescale.
The Sun and Moon distances are shown in km, and as a
percentage of their minimum - maximum distances; hence 0%
is the closest possible (Earth's perihelion, or the
Moon's closest possible perigee) and 100% is
the farthest (aphelion, the farthest apogee).
The statistics page has information on the ranges of sizes
of the Sun and Moon, and the Moon data page displays detailed
information on the Moon's key dates.
Data last updated: 2015-09-17 04:54:30 UTC.
