Total Solar Eclipse of 26 Dec, 2038 AD

A total eclipse of the Sun occurs on Sunday 26 December, 2038 UT, lasting from 22:19 on 25 Dec–03:37 UT. A dramatic total eclipse will plunge the Sun into darkness for 2 minutes and 18 seconds at maximum, creating an amazing spectacle for observers in a path up to 95 km wide. It will be seen from Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, and central New Zealand. The partial eclipse will be visible across south Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

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:

During this eclipse the Sun will be 0.542° in apparent diameter, 1.7% larger than average. The Moon will be just a day past perigee, making it fairly large. At the start and end of the eclipse the Moon will be 0.547°, and at maximum eclipse 0.557°, which is 4.8% 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.

Australia

The total eclipse begins west of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and passes just south of them on its way to Australia. It makes landfall just north of Onslow at around 23:26 on 25 Dec UT, after passing over some of the offshore islands, including Thevenard Island; the area around Bessieres Island also saw totality during the hybrid eclipse of April 2023. The track then runs south-east, passing south of Newman at about 23:31 on 25 Dec UT.

At 23:37 on 25 Dec UT the total eclipse passes the area just east of Lake Carnegie, where the total eclipse of July 2037 was also seen; and at 23:44 on 25 Dec UT it passes north-west of Wanna Lakes, where the eclipse of May 2077 will be seen.

It then enters South Australia at around 23:45 on 25 Dec UT, passing close to Maralinga at 23:49 on 25 Dec UT; by now, the eclipse will last 1 minute and 38 seconds on the centreline, with the total eclipse being visible over a path 84 km (52.2 miles) wide.

At 23:55 UT, the eclipse passes through an area of the Pureba Conservation Park north-east of Ceduna where the eclipse of December 2002 was seen; at the same time it runs almost coincident with the track of the May 2068 eclipse by the south end of Lake Gairdner, where the eclipse of November 2030 will also be visible.

The eclipse reaches Spencer Gulf, passing right over Whyalla, at 00:01 UT, and Port Pirie shortly after; both towns should see a very good total eclipse, with the duration now up to 1 minute 51 seconds on the centreline. The area south-east of Port Pirie will also see the total eclipse of 2093. The path continues south-east, reaching New South Wales about 00:07 UT, and passing over Shepparton around 00:18 UT before hitting the coast at Mallacoota. The town is right on the centreline, and will see a superb eclipse lasting over 2 minutes at about 00:27 UT.

New Zealand

The eclipse reaches its maximum in the Tasman Sea, and goes on to make landfall in the north-west corner of the South Island at 01:16 UT, and then the North Island at 01:22 UT. Foxton, on the centreline, will see a spectacular eclipse lasting well over 2 minutes, and Palmerston North, while slightly off the centre, should also see an impressive total eclipse. The eclipse crosses the island and reaches the ocean a couple of minutes later, finishing north of the Pitcairn Islands.

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.

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)
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html 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:

• 11 Dec, 2038 AD — Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
• 26 Dec, 2038 AD — Total Solar Eclipse (25 Dec UT ...) (this eclipse)

This is the 24th eclipse in solar Saros series 142.The surrounding eclipses in this Saros series are:

• 22 Nov, 1984 AD — Total Solar Eclipse (previous in the Triple Saros)
• 4 Dec, 2002 AD — Total Solar Eclipse
• 14 Dec, 2020 AD — Total Solar Eclipse
• 26 Dec, 2038 AD — Total Solar Eclipse (25 Dec UT ...) (this eclipse)
• 5 Jan, 2057 AD — Total Solar Eclipse
• 16 Jan, 2075 AD — Total Solar Eclipse
• 27 Jan, 2093 AD — Total Solar Eclipse (next in the Triple Saros)

This Saros series, solar Saros series 142, is linked to lunar Saros series 135. The nearest partner eclipses in that series are:

• 20 Dec, 2029 AD — Total Lunar Eclipse (... 21 Dec UT)
• 1 Jan, 2048 AD — Total Lunar Eclipse

Eclipse Parameters

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)
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html 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.