Solar eclipse of October 2, 2024 explained

An annular solar eclipse will occur at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Wednesday, October 2, 2024,[1] with a magnitude of 0.9326. 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. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun's, blocking most of the Sun's light and causing the Sun to look like an annulus (ring). An annular eclipse appears as a partial eclipse over a region of the Earth thousands of kilometres wide. Occurring only about 2 hours before apogee (on October 2, 2024, at 20:40 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter will be smaller.[2]

Other than Easter Island and a small portion near the southern tips of Argentina and Chile and the north of the Falkland Islands,[3] the path of the eclipse's antumbra will be entirely over the Pacific Ocean. The penumbra will be visible from Hawaii, eastern Oceania, southern and central South America, the southwesternmost parts of Mexico (more specifically, Baja California del Sur and Jalisco), and portions of Antarctica. Approximately 175,000 people live in the path of annularity.[4] [5]

Images


Animated path

Details of the antumbra in some places or cities

Solar Eclipse of October 2, 2024! valign="top" style="background:Lavender; color:Black"
Country or TerritoryPlace or City Startof
partial
eclipse
(Local Time)
Start of
annular
eclipse (Local Time)
End of
annular
eclipse (Local Time)
Duration of
annular
eclipse
End of
partial
eclipse (Local Time)
Maximum darkness Magnitude
Hanga Roa, Easter Island, Valparaíso Region12:23:4914:04:0514:10:246 min 19 s15:52:2386,9%0,932
Tortel, Aysén Region15:56:4817:20:0417:26:246 min 20 s 18:41:5085,6%0,925
Villa O'Higgins, Aysén Region15:58:1217:21:0517:26:375 min 32 s18:41:4985,6%0,925
Cochrane, Aysén Region15:57:5517:21:1517:27:095 min 54 s18:42:3085,6%0,925
Gobernador Gregores, Santa Cruz Province16:01:0217:22:4017:28:285 min 48 s 18:42:2785,5%0,925
Puerto San Julián, Santa Cruz Province16:03:5717:24:2717:29:495 min 22 s18:42:4885,4%0,924
Puerto Deseado, Santa Cruz Province16:06:0617:27:1217:30:583 min 45 s18:44:1485,4%0,924

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.[6]

October 2, 2024 Solar Eclipse Times! Event! Time (UTC)
First Penumbral External Contact2024 October 02 at 15:44:08.1 UTC
First Umbral External Contact2024 October 02 at 16:51:45.9 UTC
First Central Line2024 October 02 at 16:54:48.8 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact2024 October 02 at 16:57:52.5 UTC
First Penumbral Internal Contact2024 October 02 at 18:16:51.2 UTC
Greatest Eclipse2024 October 02 at 18:46:13.3 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction2024 October 02 at 18:50:26.2 UTC
Greatest Duration2024 October 02 at 18:54:11.7 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction2024 October 02 at 19:09:14.7 UTC
Last Penumbral Internal Contact2024 October 02 at 19:15:02.0 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact2024 October 02 at 20:34:19.4 UTC
Last Central Line2024 October 02 at 20:37:23.5 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact2024 October 02 at 20:40:27.0 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact2024 October 02 at 21:48:09.7 UTC
October 2, 2024 Solar Eclipse Parameters! Parameter! Value
Eclipse Magnitude0.93261
Eclipse Obscuration0.86975
Gamma−0.35087
Sun Right Ascension12h36m58.9s
Sun Declination-03°59'03.9"
Sun Semi-Diameter15'58.9"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.8"
Moon Right Ascension12h36m22.3s
Moon Declination-04°15'35.4"
Moon Semi-Diameter14'41.8"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax0°53'56.4"
ΔT71.7 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 2024

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 144

Inex

Triad

Inex series

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: October 2, 2024 Annular Solar Eclipse. timeanddate. 13 August 2024.
  2. Web site: Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England. timeanddate. 13 August 2024.
  3. Web site: 2024-10-01 . An annular solar eclipse on October 2, 2024 . 2024-04-09 . earthsky.org . en-US.
  4. Web site: What the Eclipse Will Look Like near the Maximum Point . 2024-05-12 . Time and Date.
  5. Web site: Carter . Jamie . 2024-04-09 . Annular solar eclipse 2024: Everything you need to know about the next solar eclipse . 2024-05-12 . Space.com.
  6. Web site: Annular Solar Eclipse of 2024 Oct 02. EclipseWise.com. 13 August 2024.