This eclipse starts on 16 December.
A total eclipse of the Sun occurs on Friday 17 December, 2066 UT, lasting from 21:47 on 16 Dec–02:55 UT. A dramatic total eclipse will plunge the Sun into darkness for 3 minutes and 14 seconds at maximum, creating an amazing spectacle for observers in a path up to 152 km wide. It will be seen in far south-western Australia, the southern part of New Zealand's Stewart Island / Rakiura, and the south Pacific. The partial eclipse will be visible in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
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: |
21:47:45 on 16 Dec UT |
| Total eclipse begins: |
22:46:08 on 16 Dec UT |
| Maximum eclipse: |
00:21:27 UT |
| Total eclipse ends: |
01:56:49 UT |
| Partial eclipse ends: |
02:55:08 UT |
During this eclipse the Sun will be 0.542° in apparent
diameter, 1.6% larger than average. The Moon will be just a day before perigee, making it extremely large.
At the start and end of the eclipse the Moon
will be 0.555°, and at maximum eclipse 0.564°,
which is 6.3% 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 eclipse begins in the Indian Ocean, and makes landfall in south-western Australia south of Perth at around 22:53 on 16 Dec UT. The southern edge of the path of totality misses the land, but the centreline crosses from north of Augusta to William Bay; with the path of totality being 124 km (77.1 miles) wide, a total eclipse will be seen in Busselton (short-lived), Bridgetown and Mount Barker (both on the very edge), and Albany. The best view will be on the centreline, where the total eclipse will last 1 minute 50 seconds.
Just about the last sighting of the eclipse in Australia will, appropriately, be from Eclipse Island; the island is named for Captain George Vancouver's observation of the total solar eclipse of 27 September, 1791, though he only witnessed a partial eclipse, albeit a very deep one. On this occasion, the island will see a total eclipse lasting one minute 49 seconds; the island will also witness the total eclipse of May 2077. After this, the total eclipse passes out into the southern ocean, south of Australia and Tasmania.
New Zealand
New Zealand unfortunately misses most of the eclipse. Only part of the total eclipse path touches the southern half of Stewart Island; the best viewpoint will be the southernmost tip of the island, where a total eclipse lasting 2 minutes 33 seconds will be seen around 00:07 UT. This is a spectacular eclipse, though on the centreline, south of the island, the duration will be 3 minutes 12 seconds.
After this the eclipse curves out to sea, south of the Pitcairn Islands, and ends over open water.
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 48th eclipse in solar Saros series 133.The surrounding eclipses in this Saros series are:
This Saros series, solar Saros series 133,
is linked to lunar Saros series 126. The
nearest partner eclipses in that series are:
Eclipse Parameters
| UT Date/time (max) | 00:21:32 on 17 Dec UT |
TDT Date/time (max) | 00:23:40 on 17 Dec TDT |
| Saros Series | 133 |
Number in Series | 48 |
| Penumbral Magnitiude | |
Central Magnitiude | 1.0416 |
| Gamma | -0.4043 |
Path Width (km) | 152 |
| Delta T | 2m08s |
Error | ± 0m47s (95%) |
| Penumbral Duration | |
Partial Duration | |
| Total Duration | 3m14s |
| |
| Partial Rating | |
Total Rating | |
| Sun Distance | 147230094 km (2.8%) |
Moon Distance | 358526 km (4.2%) |
| Sun Diameter | 0.542° |
Moon Diameter | 0.555° - 0.564° |
| Apogee | 07:43 on 5 Dec UT |
Perigee | 18:57 on 17 Dec UT |
| Contact p1 | 21:47:45 on 16 Dec UT |
Contact p2 | |
| Contact u1 | 22:46:08 on 16 Dec UT |
Contact u2 | 22:47:37 on 16 Dec UT |
| Max eclipse | 00:21:27 on 17 Dec UT |
| Contact u3 | 01:55:18 on 17 Dec UT |
Contact u4 | 01:56:49 on 17 Dec UT |
| Contact p3 | |
Contact p4 | 02:55:08 on 17 Dec 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: 2015-06-21 22:11:46 UTC.
