A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Monday, December 14, 2020,[1][2][3][4][5][6] 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. Occurring about 1.8 days after perigee (on December 12, 2020, at 20:40 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[7]
| Solar eclipse of December 14, 2020 | |
|---|---|
 Totality as viewed from Gorbea, Chile | |
 Map | |
| 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 |
Totality was visible from parts of southern Chile and Argentina. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of central and southern South America, Southern Africa, and Antarctica. A total solar eclipse crossed a similar region of the Earth about a year and a half earlier on July 2, 2019.
Visibility
edit
Chile
editTotality made landfall in Puerto Saavedra, before traversing through portions of Araucanía Region, Los Ríos Region, and a very small part of Bío Bío Region.[8] 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
editTotality 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
editThe 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).[9] 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.[10]
Gallery
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Partial from Rengo, Chile, 15:07 UTC -
Partial from Santiago de Chile, 16:02 UTC -
Partial from Puerto Varas, Chile, 16:09 UTC -
Totality from Ministro Ramos Mexía, Argentina, 16:14 UTC -
Partial from Manuel B. Gonnet, Argentina, 16:32 UTC -
Partial from Guarulhos, Brazil, 17:01 UTC -
Partial from Taubaté, Brazil, 17:13 UTC -
Totality from Valcheta, Argentina
Eclipse details
editShown 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.[11]
| Event | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|
| First Penumbral External Contact | 2020 December 14 at 13:35:04.2 UTC |
| First Umbral External Contact | 2020 December 14 at 14:33:44.2 UTC |
| First Central Line | 2020 December 14 at 14:34:00.3 UTC |
| First Umbral Internal Contact | 2020 December 14 at 14:34:16.4 UTC |
| First Penumbral Internal Contact | 2020 December 14 at 15:38:01.7 UTC |
| Greatest Eclipse | 2020 December 14 at 16:14:39.4 UTC |
| Greatest Duration | 2020 December 14 at 16:14:45.1 UTC |
| Ecliptic Conjunction | 2020 December 14 at 16:17:44.3 UTC |
| Equatorial Conjunction | 2020 December 14 at 16:19:21.9 UTC |
| Last Penumbral Internal Contact | 2020 December 14 at 16:51:09.2 UTC |
| Last Umbral Internal Contact | 2020 December 14 at 17:55:01.7 UTC |
| Last Central Line | 2020 December 14 at 17:55:15.8 UTC |
| Last Umbral External Contact | 2020 December 14 at 17:55:29.8 UTC |
| Last Penumbral External Contact | 2020 December 14 at 18:54:16.8 UTC |
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Eclipse Magnitude | 1.02536 |
| Eclipse Obscuration | 1.05136 |
| Gamma | −0.29394 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 17h30m05.9s |
| Sun Declination | -23°15'32.3" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 16'14.9" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.9" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 17h29m54.3s |
| Moon Declination | -23°32'58.8" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 16'23.7" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 1°00'10.4" |
| ΔT | 70.2 s |
Eclipse season
editThis 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 30 Ascending node (full moon) |
December 14 Descending node (new moon) |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Penumbral lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 116 |
Total solar eclipse Solar Saros 142 |
Related eclipses
editThis eclipse took place one lunar year after the Solar eclipse of December 26, 2019.
Eclipses in 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
editThis 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.[12]
The partial solar eclipses on February 15, 2018 and August 11, 2018 occur in the previous lunar year eclipse set.
| Solar eclipse series sets from 2018 to 2021 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascending node | Descending node | |||||
| Saros | Map | Gamma | Saros | Map | Gamma | |
117 Partial in Melbourne, Australia |
July 13, 2018 Partial |
−1.35423 | 122 Partial in Nakhodka, Russia |
January 6, 2019 Partial |
1.14174 | |
127 Totality in La Serena, Chile |
July 2, 2019 Total |
−0.64656 | 132 Annularity in Jaffna, Sri Lanka |
December 26, 2019 Annular |
0.41351 | |
137 Annularity in Beigang, Yunlin, Taiwan |
June 21, 2020 Annular |
0.12090 | 142 Totality in Gorbea, Chile |
December 14, 2020 Total |
−0.29394 | |
147 Partial in Halifax, Canada |
June 10, 2021 Annular |
0.91516 | 152 From HMS Protector off South Georgia |
December 4, 2021 Total |
−0.95261 | |
Saros 142
editThis 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.[13]
| 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
editThe 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 eclipse events between July 22, 1971 and July 22, 2047 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 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 | ||||
Tritos series
editThis eclipse is a part of a tritos cycle, repeating at alternating nodes every 135 synodic months (≈ 3986.63 days, or 11 years minus 1 month). Their appearance and longitude are irregular due to a lack of synchronization with the anomalistic month (period of perigee), but groupings of 3 tritos cycles (≈ 33 years minus 3 months) come close (≈ 434.044 anomalistic months), so eclipses are similar in these groupings.
| Series members between 1801 and 2200 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 August 28, 1802 (Saros 122) |
 July 27, 1813 (Saros 123) |
 June 26, 1824 (Saros 124) |
 May 27, 1835 (Saros 125) |
 April 25, 1846 (Saros 126) |
 March 25, 1857 (Saros 127) |
 February 23, 1868 (Saros 128) |
 January 22, 1879 (Saros 129) |
 December 22, 1889 (Saros 130) |
 November 22, 1900 (Saros 131) |
 October 22, 1911 (Saros 132) |
 September 21, 1922 (Saros 133) |
 August 21, 1933 (Saros 134) |
 July 20, 1944 (Saros 135) |
 June 20, 1955 (Saros 136) |
 May 20, 1966 (Saros 137) |
 April 18, 1977 (Saros 138) |
 March 18, 1988 (Saros 139) |
 February 16, 1999 (Saros 140) |
 January 15, 2010 (Saros 141) |
| December 14, 2020 (Saros 142) |
 November 14, 2031 (Saros 143) |
 October 14, 2042 (Saros 144) |
 September 12, 2053 (Saros 145) |
 August 12, 2064 (Saros 146) |
 July 13, 2075 (Saros 147) |
 June 11, 2086 (Saros 148) |
 May 11, 2097 (Saros 149) |
 April 11, 2108 (Saros 150) |
 March 11, 2119 (Saros 151) |
 February 8, 2130 (Saros 152) |
 January 8, 2141 (Saros 153) |
 December 8, 2151 (Saros 154) |
 November 7, 2162 (Saros 155) |
 October 7, 2173 (Saros 156) |
 September 4, 2184 (Saros 157) |
 August 5, 2195 (Saros 158) | |||
Inex series
editThis eclipse is a part of the long period inex cycle, repeating at alternating nodes, every 358 synodic months (≈ 10,571.95 days, or 29 years minus 20 days). Their appearance and longitude are irregular due to a lack of synchronization with the anomalistic month (period of perigee). However, groupings of 3 inex cycles (≈ 87 years minus 2 months) comes close (≈ 1,151.02 anomalistic months), so eclipses are similar in these groupings.
| Series members between 1801 and 2200 | ||
|---|---|---|
 May 5, 1818 (Saros 135) |
 April 15, 1847 (Saros 136) |
 March 25, 1876 (Saros 137) |
 March 6, 1905 (Saros 138) |
 February 14, 1934 (Saros 139) |
 January 25, 1963 (Saros 140) |
 January 4, 1992 (Saros 141) |
December 14, 2020 (Saros 142) |
 November 25, 2049 (Saros 143) |
 November 4, 2078 (Saros 144) |
 October 16, 2107 (Saros 145) |
 September 26, 2136 (Saros 146) |
 September 5, 2165 (Saros 147) |
 August 16, 2194 (Saros 148) |
|
References
edit- ^ "December 14, 2020 Total Solar Eclipse". timeanddate. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Total Solar Eclipse of 2020 Dec 14". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ 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.
External links
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