Unveiling the Future: Mapping the Path of Solar Eclipses”

It’s always a good time to start contemplating the next solar eclipse.

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Solar Eclipses

Yesterday, on April 8, the moon’s shadow gracefully traversed North America, treating over 30 million inhabitants to a total solar eclipse (Source: Science News, January 4, 2024). Yet, even as the shadow bid adieu to the continent from eastern Canada, preparations began for the subsequent total eclipse. And the one following that. And the one after that.

This continuity is governed by an inherent order underlying the mechanisms of any eclipse. The awe-inspiring celestial spectacle is orchestrated by the unyielding, cyclical movements of the Earth and the moon. Consequently, eclipses of various types—total solar eclipses included—unfold predictably across millennia.

Thanks to this predictability, upcoming solar eclipses can be meticulously mapped. Science News employed NASA’s “Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses” database, meticulously documenting every solar eclipse from 2000 B.C. to A.D. 3000, to craft an interactive map.

This extensive timeframe encompasses nearly 12,000 solar eclipses, of which approximately 3,200 are total eclipses. Presenting them all would be overwhelming. Instead, the map showcases the trajectories of the next 15 total solar eclipses, spanning from 2024 to 2044.

In the map, each eclipse’s path (distinguished by color) is delineated with three lines: the northern and southern boundaries of the band where a total eclipse is visible, along with the centerline of that band. Totality lasts longer along the centerline compared to the edges. Those outside the band will witness a partial eclipse.

By clicking on a path, users can access details about the eclipse: its date, the time (in Universal Time) of maximum eclipse, the duration of maximum eclipse, and the width of the eclipse path. Typing a city, landmark, or address into the map’s search bar zooms to that location, enabling users to determine if any eclipses are slated to grace their favorite spots.

For this year’s eclipse, clicking on any white flag along the path reveals the exact time (also in Universal Time) and duration of totality at that location.

One eclipse stands out as peculiar. Scheduled for April 9, 2043, it will traverse eastern Siberia. On the map, only one line appears—the southernmost limit of totality—because the centerline doesn’t intersect Earth’s surface. In this “noncentral eclipse,” the centerline and the entire northern portion of the shadow will bypass Earth entirely, disappearing into space’s vast expanse.