Solar eclipse of December 4, 2021
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| Total eclipse | |
.jpg) As observed by the Royal Navy (HMS Protector) off South Georgia | |
 Map | |
| Gamma | −0.9526 |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | 1.0367 |
| Maximum eclipse | |
| Duration | 114 s (1 min 54 s) |
| Coordinates | 76°48′S 46°12′W / 76.8°S 46.2°W |
| Max. width of band | 419 km (260 mi) |
| Times (UTC) | |
| Greatest eclipse | 7:34:38 |
| References | |
| Saros | 152 (13 of 70) |
| Catalog # (SE5000) | 9556 |
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Saturday, December 4, 2021,[1][2][3][4] with a magnitude of 1.0367. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's and the apparent path of the Sun and Moon intersect, blocking all direct sunlight and turning daylight into darkness; the Sun appears to be black with a halo around it. 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 2.5 hours before perigee (on December 4, 2021, at 10:00 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[5]
This eclipse was unusual as the path of the total eclipse moved from east to west across West Antarctica, while most eclipse paths move from west to east. This reversal is only possible in polar regions. Its path across Antarctica crossed near Berkner Island, traversed an arc over the continent and passed over Shepard Island.[6][7] A partial eclipse was visible for parts of Southern Africa, Antarctica, and Tasmania.
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Animated path
Eclipse timing
Places experiencing total eclipse
| Country or territory | City or place | Start of partial eclipse | Start of total eclipse | Maximum eclipse | End of total eclipse | End of partial eclipse | Duration of totality (min:s) | Duration of eclipse (hr:min) | Maximum magnitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Antarctica | Orcadas Base | 03:20:18 | 04:08:52 | 04:09:22 | 04:09:51 | 05:00:07 | 0:59 | 1:40 | 1.0035 |
| References: [1] | |||||||||
Places experiencing partial eclipse
| Country or territory | City or place | Start of partial eclipse | Maximum eclipse | End of partial eclipse | Duration of eclipse (hr:min) | Maximum coverage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | Jamestown | 05:42:25 (sunrise) | 05:56:45 | 06:21:54 | 0:39 | 5.51% | |||
 Namibia | Swakopmund | 07:45:43 | 08:00:44 | 08:16:08 | 0:30 | 0.80% | |||
| Namibia | Walvis Bay | 07:44:50 | 08:01:06 | 08:17:51 | 0:33 | 1.02% | |||
 South Africa | Bloemfontein | 08:08:31 | 08:14:21 | 08:20:15 | 0:12 | 0.03% | |||
 Lesotho | Mafeteng | 08:10:33 | 08:16:10 | 08:21:50 | 0:11 | 0.03% | |||
| South Africa | Cape Town | 07:42:28 | 08:19:08 | 08:58:04 | 1:16 | 11.66% | |||
| South Africa | Stellenbosch | 07:42:58 | 08:19:18 | 08:57:54 | 1:15 | 11.21% | |||
| South Africa | George | 07:47:45 | 08:20:53 | 08:55:52 | 1:08 | 7.55% | |||
| South Africa | Makhanda | 07:55:57 | 08:21:56 | 08:49:05 | 0:53 | 3.14% | |||
| South Africa | Gqeberha | 07:53:20 | 08:22:33 | 08:53:13 | 1:00 | 4.65% | |||
| Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | Edinburgh of the Seven Seas | 05:38:04 | 06:24:11 | 07:13:15 | 1:35 | 52.46% | |||
 Bouvet Island | Bouvet Island | 06:58:09 | 07:51:44 | 08:48:39 | 1:51 | 63.13% | |||
 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | King Edward Point | 04:08:23 | 04:57:07 | 05:47:57 | 1:40 | 96.62% | |||
| South Africa | Marion Island | 09:15:03 | 09:57:35 | 10:42:18 | 1:27 | 12.00% | |||
 French Southern and Antarctic Lands | Île de la Possession | 11:51:45 | 12:15:42 | 12:40:08 | 0:48 | 1.43% | |||
| Antarctica | Carlini Base | 03:29:26 | 04:17:25 | 05:06:40 | 1:37 | 95.81% | |||
| Antarctica | Esperanza Base | 03:29:38 | 04:18:01 | 05:07:43 | 1:38 | 96.14% | |||
| Antarctica | Marambio Base | 03:30:16 | 04:18:53 | 05:08:48 | 1:39 | 96.19% | |||
 Falkland Islands | Stanley | 04:29:49 (sunrise) | 04:34:16 | 04:52:35 | 0:23 | 27.61% | |||
 Chile | Puerto Williams | 04:49:57 (sunrise) | 04:55:01 | 05:01:39 | 0:12 | 6.31% | |||
 Argentina | Ushuaia | 04:53:35 (sunrise) | 04:59:27 | 05:01:54 | 0:08 | 1.43% | |||
 New Zealand | Oban | 21:11:21 | 21:23:35 | 21:27:27 (sunset) | 0:16 | 10.53% | |||
| Antarctica | Casey Station | 18:34:13 | 19:27:20 | 20:18:34 | 1:44 | 37.24% | |||
 Australia | Macquarie Island | 19:03:23 | 19:49:00 | 20:32:44 | 1:29 | 42.87% | |||
| Australia | Canberra | 19:56:55 | 20:02:43 | 20:05:45 (sunset) | 0:09 | 0.62% | |||
| Australia | Hobart | 19:34:16 | 20:06:02 | 20:35:44 (sunset) | 1:01 | 10.98% | |||
| Australia | Traralgon | 19:49:24 | 20:11:03 | 20:24:11 (sunset) | 0:35 | 3.36% | |||
| Australia | Melbourne | 19:53:13 | 20:11:57 | 20:29:22 (sunset) | 0:36 | 2.10% | |||
| References: [1] | |||||||||
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.[8]
| Event | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|
| First Penumbral External Contact | 2021 December 4 at 05:30:26.5 UTC |
| First Umbral External Contact | 2021 December 4 at 07:01:16.7 UTC |
| First Central Line | 2021 December 4 at 07:04:03.2 UTC |
| First Umbral Internal Contact | 2021 December 4 at 07:07:04.8 UTC |
| Greatest Eclipse | 2021 December 4 at 07:34:37.9 UTC |
| Greatest Duration | 2021 December 4 at 07:34:40.1 UTC |
| Ecliptic Conjunction | 2021 December 4 at 07:44:11.1 UTC |
| Equatorial Conjunction | 2021 December 4 at 07:57:20.3 UTC |
| Last Umbral Internal Contact | 2021 December 4 at 08:01:55.8 UTC |
| Last Central Line | 2021 December 4 at 08:04:57.6 UTC |
| Last Umbral External Contact | 2021 December 4 at 08:07:44.3 UTC |
| Last Penumbral External Contact | 2021 December 4 at 09:38:39.3 UTC |
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Eclipse Magnitude | 1.03673 |
| Eclipse Obscuration | 1.07481 |
| Gamma | −0.95261 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 16h43m32.4s |
| Sun Declination | -22°16'29.4" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 16'13.6" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.9" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 16h42m35.0s |
| Moon Declination | -23°13'22.3" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 16'44.7" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 1°01'27.3" |
| ΔT | 70.6 s |
Eclipse season
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.
| November 19 Ascending node (full moon) | December 4 Descending node (new moon) |
|---|---|
 | |
| Partial lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 126 | Total solar eclipse Solar Saros 152 |
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