Timezone / Date

You have not selected a timezone for eclipse timings, so all times are shown in UT (essentially GMT).

Accuracy

Due to the erratic rotation of the Earth, the time and location of the eclipse cannot be forecast perfectly. This eclipse's time is estimated to be accurate ± 6m47s (with 95% confidence). This equates to an error in longitude of ± 1.70 degrees, or around ± 77 km (48 miles) at the latitude of greatest eclipse.

A partial eclipse of the Sun occurs on Wednesday 21 December, 2253 UT, with maximum eclipse at 11:29 UT. With only 20% of the Sun covered at maximum eclipse, this will be a very marginal eclipse at best, and rather uninteresting.

Maximum eclipse is at 11:29:57 UT.

During this eclipse the Sun will be 0.542° in apparent diameter, 1.6% larger than average. The Moon will be just 3 days before perigee, making it relatively large. At maximum eclipse it will be 0.536° in apparent diameter, which is 0.9% larger than average. This has no real effect on this eclipse, since the Moon's central shadow misses the Earth, making this a partial 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.

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 partial solar eclipse. (Click on it for the full-sized version.)

Eclipse Season and Saros Series

This eclipse season contains 3 eclipses:

This is the 7th eclipse in solar Saros series 165.The surrounding eclipses in this Saros series are:

This Saros series, solar Saros series 165, is linked to lunar Saros series 158. The nearest partner eclipses in that series are:

Eclipse Parameters

UT Date/time (max) 11:29:57 on 21 Dec UT TDT Date/time (max) 11:39:39 on 21 Dec TDT
Saros Series 165 Number in Series 7
Penumbral Magnitiude Central Magnitiude 0.1972
Gamma 1.4374 Path Width (km) 0
Delta T 9m42s Error ± 6m47s (95%)
Penumbral Duration Partial Duration
Total Duration
Partial Rating Total Rating
Sun Distance 147234178 km (2.9%) Moon Distance 371460 km (29.9%)
Sun Diameter 0.542° Moon Diameter 0.536° - 0.536°
Apogee 17:28 on 12 Dec UT Perigee 12:05 on 24 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)
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: 2015-06-21 22:11:47 UTC.