A total eclipse of the Sun occurs on Monday 20 March, 2034 UT, lasting from 07:39–12:54 UT. A dramatic total eclipse will plunge the Sun into darkness for 4 minutes and 9 seconds at maximum, creating an amazing spectacle for observers in a path up to 159 km wide. It will be seen from Nigeria, northern Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Himalayas, and Tibet. The partial eclipse will be visible across most of Europe, Africa, and western and central Asia.
The timings of the phases of the overall eclipse
worldwide are as follows. In any particular
place it will be seen for a significantly shorter
duration as the shadow moves across the Earth:
| Partial eclipse begins: |
07:39:44 UT |
| Total eclipse begins: |
08:36:42 UT |
| Maximum eclipse: |
10:17:17 UT |
| Total eclipse ends: |
11:57:47 UT |
| Partial eclipse ends: |
12:54:42 UT |
During this eclipse the Sun will be 0.535° in apparent
diameter, 0.4% larger than average. The Moon will be just a day before perigee, making it very large.
At the start and end of the eclipse the Moon
will be 0.551°, and at maximum eclipse 0.560°,
which is 5.4% larger than average; hence it will cover 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.
West Africa
The total eclipse begins in the Atlantic off Brazil, then crosses over to a landfall in Nigeria at around 09:18 UT, after narrowly missing Ghana. The total eclipse path just clips a corner of Benin, but the duration will be very short there; on the centreline, where it hits land just south of the Lekki Lagoon in Nigeria, the total phase will last close to 3 and a half minutes. The path of totality is 153 km (95.1 miles) wide, so residents in Lagos should see a reasonably long-lasting eclipse.
The path of totality crosses Nigeria, giving Lafia a splendid view at around 09:32 UT; then cuts over the northern tip of Cameroon, passing over the Waza National Park at around 09:50 UT. On the centreline, just north of the park, the eclipse will last a spectacular 4 minutes.
East Africa
Just after this the eclipse enters Chad, giving the residents of N'Djamena a superb eclipse at around 09:52 UT; but the best view will be south of the city, on the centreline. The total eclipse moves north-east, passing Ati at around 10:02 UT, and enters Sudan at 10:22 UT; the eclipse is just past maximum at this point, but the duration will still be over 4 minutes on the centreline.
The eclipse track crosses the desert to Abri on the Nile, which will be dead in the centre of the total eclipse at 10:44 UT; viewers there will see a dramatic eclipse lasting just over 4 minutes. Wadi Halfa will see a total eclipse a few minutes later, but being north of the centreline, it won't last as long; the best view will be down the road, closer to Abri.
The total eclipse path enters south-east Egypt around 10:50 UT, and crosses to the Red Sea at 10:58 UT, at the Elba National Park; the same area saw a total solar eclipse in August 2027.
The Middle East
The eclipse makes landfall in Saudi Arabia at about 11:02 UT, just north of Yanbu. While the eclipse is waning by now, the duration here will still be 3 minutes 43 seconds, and the path of totality will be 150 km (93.2 miles) wide. The track passes just north of Medina at 11:08 UT and Buraydah at 11:18 UT; eclipse watchers in both cities will need to go about 70 km (43.5 miles) north for the best vantage point.
The total eclipse enters Kuwait at around 11:25 UT, crossing directly over Al Wafra, which should see a spectacular total eclipse lasting over 3 minutes. Kuwait City is just north of the path of totality; viewers there will need to go south to see totality.
The total eclipse hits the Persian Gulf at about 11:26 UT, where viewers on the centreline at Al Khiran will see an eclipse lasting 3 minutes and 11 seconds.
The eclipse reaches Iran south of Bandar Ganaveh at around 11:29 UT, where the total eclipse path is still 139 km (86.4 miles) wide, so many of the towns in the region will see a total eclipse. The track crosses Iran, with Zarand, just south of the centreline, seeing the total eclipse around 11:37 UT; on the centreline, just north of the town, the duration will still be 2 minutes 48 seconds, a very impressive total eclipse.
Asia
The eclipse reaches Afghanistan and passes Farah at around 11:42 UT; while the eclipse is dwindling by now, the longest eclipse, south of Farah on the centreline, will still be over 2 and a half minutes.
The eclipse track passes over Chora and Loman, then reaches Pakistan at around 11:50 UT; Islamabad will see the eclipse at around 11:52 UT, the longest duration being seen just to the north of the city.
After this the eclipse crosses the Himalayas, entering Tibet at about 11:54 UT. The track runs east into Qinghai just as it ends at 11:57 UT.
Interactive Map
This map shows the visibility of the eclipse.
The shaded area will see the total solar eclipse; however, near the edges of
this area, the eclipse will be very short. The bold line shows the centre
of the path, where the eclipse will last longest, so this is where you want to be if possible.
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 will be seen. (Click on it for the
full-sized version.)
Eclipse Season and Saros Series
This eclipse season contains 2 eclipses:
This is the 53rd eclipse in solar Saros series 130.The surrounding eclipses in this Saros series are:
This Saros series, solar Saros series 130,
is linked to lunar Saros series 123. The
nearest partner eclipses in that series are:
Eclipse Parameters
| UT Date/time (max) | 10:17:25 on 20 Mar UT |
TDT Date/time (max) | 10:18:45 on 20 Mar TDT |
| Saros Series | 130 |
Number in Series | 53 |
| Penumbral Magnitiude | |
Central Magnitiude | 1.0458 |
| Gamma | 0.2894 |
Path Width (km) | 159 |
| Delta T | 1m20s |
Error | ± 0m15s (95%) |
| Penumbral Duration | |
Partial Duration | |
| Total Duration | 4m09s |
| |
| Partial Rating | major |
Total Rating | major |
| Sun Distance | 148969705 km (38.8%) |
Moon Distance | 361514 km (10.2%) |
| Sun Diameter | 0.535° |
Moon Diameter | 0.551° - 0.560° |
| Apogee | 16:06 on 9 Mar UT |
Perigee | 18:13 on 21 Mar UT |
| Contact p1 | 07:39:44 on 20 Mar UT |
Contact p2 | |
| Contact u1 | 08:36:42 on 20 Mar UT |
Contact u2 | 08:38:19 on 20 Mar UT |
| Max eclipse | 10:17:17 on 20 Mar UT |
| Contact u3 | 11:56:07 on 20 Mar UT |
Contact u4 | 11:57:47 on 20 Mar UT |
| Contact p3 | |
Contact p4 | 12:54:42 on 20 Mar 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.
