Solar eclipse of December 14, 2020
Solar eclipse of December 14, 2020 | |
---|---|
Type of eclipse | |
Nature | Total |
Gamma | −0.2939 |
Magnitude | 1.0254 |
Maximum eclipse | |
Duration | 130 s (2 min 10 s) |
Coordinates | 40°18′S 67°54′W / 40.3°S 67.9°W |
Max. width of band | 90 km (56 mi) |
Times (UTC) | |
Greatest eclipse | 16:14:39 |
References | |
Saros | 142 (23 of 72) |
Catalog # (SE5000) | 9554 |
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Monday, December 14, 2020,[1][2][3][4][5] with a magnitude of 1.0254. 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, including parts of the Pacific Ocean, South America, southwestern Africa, and the Atlantic Ocean. The Moon's apparent diameter was larger than average because the eclipse occurred only 1.8 days after perigee (on December 12, 2020).
Visibility[edit]
Chile[edit]
Totality made landfall in Puerto Saavedra, before traversing through portions of Araucanía Region, Los Ríos Region, and a very small part of Bío Bío Region.[6] Cities in the path included Temuco, Villarrica, and Pucón. Totality was also visible on Mocha Island. The eclipse's path was similar to the solar eclipse of February 26, 2017. It occurred just 17 months after the solar eclipse of July 2, 2019 and, like the 2019 eclipse, was also visible from Chile and Argentina. It was also a partial solar eclipse in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.
Argentina[edit]
Totality was visible across the Northern Patagonia (specifically the provinces of Neuquén and Río Negro), passing through cities including Piedra del Águila, Sierra Colorada, Ministro Ramos Mexía, Junín de los Andes, and partially in San Martín de los Andes and San Carlos de Bariloche.
Scientific observations[edit]
The ionospheric effects of the eclipse were expected to be monitored as part of the December 2020 Eclipse Festival of Frequency Measurement, a citizen science experiment organized through the Amateur Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI).[7] Also, a prediction was made for a group of ionospheric stations in South America, using a numerical model (SUPIM-INPE), of the ionospheric response to this event.[8]
Gallery[edit]
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Partial from Rengo, Chile, 15:07 UTC
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Partial from Santiago de Chile, 16:02 UTC
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Partial from Puerto Varas, Chile, 16:09 UTC
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Totality from Ministro Ramos Mexía, Argentina, 16:14 UTC
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Partial from Manuel B. Gonnet, Argentina, 16:32 UTC
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Partial from Guarulhos, Brazil, 17:01 UTC
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Partial from Taubaté, Brazil, 17:13 UTC
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Totality from Valcheta, Argentina
Related eclipses[edit]
This eclipse took place one lunar year after the Solar eclipse of December 26, 2019.
Eclipses of 2020[edit]
- A penumbral lunar eclipse on January 10.
- A penumbral lunar eclipse on June 5.
- An annular solar eclipse on June 21.
- A penumbral lunar eclipse on July 5.
- A penumbral lunar eclipse on November 30.
- A total solar eclipse on December 14.
Metonic[edit]
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 26, 2017
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 2, 2024
Tzolkinex[edit]
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 3, 2013
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 26, 2028
Half-Saros[edit]
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 10, 2011
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 20, 2029
Tritos[edit]
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 15, 2010
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 14, 2031
Solar Saros 142[edit]
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 4, 2002
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 26, 2038
Inex[edit]
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 4, 1992
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 25, 2049
Triad[edit]
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 14, 1934
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 16, 2107
Solar eclipses of 2018–2021[edit]
This eclipse is a member of a semester series. An eclipse in a semester series of solar eclipses repeats approximately every 177 days and 4 hours (a semester) at alternating nodes of the Moon's orbit.[9]
Note: Partial solar eclipses on February 15, 2018, and August 11, 2018, occurred during the previous semester series.
Ascending node | Descending node | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saros | Map | Gamma | Saros | Map | Gamma | |
117 Partial from Melbourne, Australia |
2018 July 13 Partial |
−1.35423 | 122 Partial from Nakhodka, Russia |
2019 January 6 Partial |
1.14174 | |
127 La Serena, Chile |
2019 July 2 Total |
−0.64656 | 132 Jaffna, Sri Lanka |
2019 December 26 Annular |
0.41351 | |
137 Beigang, Yunlin, Taiwan |
2020 June 21 Annular |
0.12090 | 142 Gorbea, Chile |
2020 December 14 Total |
−0.29394 | |
147 Partial from Halifax, Canada |
2021 June 10 Annular |
0.91516 | 152 From HMS Protector off South Georgia |
2021 December 4 Total |
−0.95261 |
Saros 142[edit]
This eclipse is a part of Saros series 142, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, and containing 72 events. The series started with a partial solar eclipse on April 17, 1624. It contains a hybrid eclipse on July 14, 1768, and total eclipses from July 25, 1786 through October 29, 2543. There are no annular eclipses in this set. The series ends at member 72 as a partial eclipse on June 5, 2904. Its eclipses are tabulated in three columns; every third eclipse in the same column is one exeligmos apart, so they all cast shadows over approximately the same parts of the Earth.
The longest duration of totality will be produced by member 38 at 6 minutes, 34 seconds on May 28, 2291. All eclipses in this series occur at the Moon’s descending node of orbit.[10]
Series members 11–32 occur between 1801 and 2200: | ||
---|---|---|
11 | 12 | 13 |
August 5, 1804 |
August 16, 1822 |
August 27, 1840 |
14 | 15 | 16 |
September 7, 1858 |
September 17, 1876 |
September 29, 1894 |
17 | 18 | 19 |
October 10, 1912 |
October 21, 1930 |
November 1, 1948 |
20 | 21 | 22 |
November 12, 1966 |
November 22, 1984 |
December 4, 2002 |
23 | 24 | 25 |
December 14, 2020 |
December 26, 2038 |
January 5, 2057 |
26 | 27 | 28 |
January 16, 2075 |
January 27, 2093 |
February 8, 2111 |
29 | 30 | 31 |
February 18, 2129 |
March 2, 2147 |
March 12, 2165 |
32 | ||
March 23, 2183 |
Metonic series[edit]
The metonic series repeats eclipses every 19 years (6939.69 days), lasting about 5 cycles. Eclipses occur in nearly the same calendar date. In addition, the octon subseries repeats 1/5 of that or every 3.8 years (1387.94 days). All eclipses in this table occur at the Moon's descending node.
21 events between July 22, 1971 and July 22, 2047 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
July 21–22 | May 9–11 | February 26–27 | December 14–15 | October 2–3 |
116 | 118 | 120 | 122 | 124 |
July 22, 1971 |
May 11, 1975 |
February 26, 1979 |
December 15, 1982 |
October 3, 1986 |
126 | 128 | 130 | 132 | 134 |
July 22, 1990 |
May 10, 1994 |
February 26, 1998 |
December 14, 2001 |
October 3, 2005 |
136 | 138 | 140 | 142 | 144 |
July 22, 2009 |
May 10, 2013 |
February 26, 2017 |
December 14, 2020 |
October 2, 2024 |
146 | 148 | 150 | 152 | 154 |
July 22, 2028 |
May 9, 2032 |
February 27, 2036 |
December 15, 2039 |
October 3, 2043 |
156 | ||||
July 22, 2047 |
References[edit]
- ^ Urrutia, Doris Elin (December 14, 2020). "Only total solar eclipse of 2020 thrills spectators in South America". Space.com.
- ^ "Thousands watch solar eclipse in Chile but fog and clouds mar view". December 14, 2020 – via www.reuters.com.
- ^ "Daytime darkness: Total solar eclipse wows in Latin America". www.spokesman.com.
- ^ "Solar eclipse plunges parts of Chile, Argentina into darkness for two minutes". France 24. December 14, 2020.
- ^ Cappucci, Matthew (December 14, 2020). "Year's only total solar eclipse swept across Chile, Argentina today". The Washington Post.
- ^ Garcia, Richard (30 December 2018). "Chile será protagonista de tres eclipses totales de Sol consecutivos por primera vez". EyN (in Spanish).
- ^ "December 2020 Eclipse Festival of Frequency Measurement". HamSCI.
- ^ Martínez‐Ledesma, M.; Bravo, M.; Urra, B.; Souza, J.; Foppiano, A. (2020). "Prediction of the Ionospheric Response to the 14 December 2020 Total Solar Eclipse Using SUPIM-INPE". Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics. 125 (11): e2020JA028625. Bibcode:2020JGRA..12528625M. doi:10.1029/2020JA028625. S2CID 228824043.
- ^ van Gent, R.H. "Solar- and Lunar-Eclipse Predictions from Antiquity to the Present". A Catalogue of Eclipse Cycles. Utrecht University. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ "NASA - Catalog of Solar Eclipses of Saros 142". eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov.