Solar eclipse of April 20, 2061 explained

A total solar eclipse will occur at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Wednesday, April 20, 2061,[1] with a magnitude of 1.0475. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Occurring about 1.1 days before perigee (on April 21, 2061, at 4:00 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter will be larger.[2]

Visibility

The eclipse will begin over Southern Russia and eastern Ukraine at sunrise and the moon shadow will move rapidly in a northeastern direction over west Kazakhstan (West Kazakhstan Region). The shadow will cover the Urals and races over the Arctic Ocean in a north-westerly direction and reaches the Svalbard archipelago. At sunset the eclipse will end just before the coast of Greenland.

The greatest eclipse will be in Russia on the east of Komi Republic (in Europe), ~120 km to south-east of Pechora.

A partial solar eclipse will also be visible for parts of Eastern Europe, Asia, Alaska, and northwestern Canada.

Eclipse details

Shown below are two tables displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. The first table outlines times at which the moon's penumbra or umbra attains the specific parameter, and the second table describes various other parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[3]

April 20, 2061 Solar Eclipse Times! Event! Time (UTC)
First Penumbral External Contact2061 April 20 at 00:52:32.9 UTC
First Umbral External Contact2061 April 20 at 02:23:47.2 UTC
First Central Line2061 April 20 at 02:27:39.9 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact2061 April 20 at 02:32:06.2 UTC
Greatest Eclipse2061 April 20 at 02:56:49.1 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction2061 April 20 at 03:06:25.5 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction2061 April 20 at 03:45:10.8 UTC
Greatest Duration2061 April 20 at 09:41:30.5 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact2061 April 20 at 03:21:00.1 UTC
Last Central Line2061 April 20 at 03:25:27.9 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact2061 April 20 at 03:29:22.2 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact2061 April 20 at 05:00:43.2 UTC
April 20, 2061 Solar Eclipse Parameters! Parameter! Value
Eclipse Magnitude1.04755
Eclipse Obscuration1.09736
Gamma0.95776
Sun Right Ascension01h53m47.8s
Sun Declination+11°39'59.8"
Sun Semi-Diameter15'55.3"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.8"
Moon Right Ascension01h52m03.2s
Moon Declination+12°32'19.1"
Moon Semi-Diameter16'36.4"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax1°00'56.9"
ΔT91.3 s

Eclipse season

See also: Eclipse cycle. This eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two (or occasionally three) eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months (173 days) later; thus two full eclipse seasons always occur each year. Either two or three eclipses happen each eclipse season. In the sequence below, each eclipse is separated by a fortnight.

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 2061

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 149

Inex

Triad

Inex series

Notes and References

  1. Web site: April 20, 2061 Total Solar Eclipse. timeanddate. 17 August 2024.
  2. Web site: Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England. timeanddate. 17 August 2024.
  3. Web site: Total Solar Eclipse of 2061 Apr 20. EclipseWise.com. 17 August 2024.