Solar eclipse of December 26, 2038


A total solar eclipse will occur at the Moon's descending node of orbit between Saturday, December 25 and Sunday, December 26, 2038, with a magnitude of 1.0268. 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 1.7 days after perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter will be larger.
Totality will be visible from parts of Australia and New Zealand. A partial eclipse will be visible for parts of Southeast Asia, Australia, Antarctica, and Oceania.
In some parts of the world it will fall on Christmas Day, the first such eclipse since 2000, and the last until 2057.

Images

Animated path

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.
EventTime
First Penumbral External Contact2038 December 25 at 22:20:51.4 UTC
First Umbral External Contact2038 December 25 at 23:19:15.0 UTC
First Central Line2038 December 25 at 23:19:33.4 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact2038 December 25 at 23:19:51.9 UTC
First Penumbral Internal Contact2038 December 26 at 00:23:04.9 UTC
Greatest Duration2038 December 26 at 00:59:26.3 UTC
Greatest Eclipse2038 December 26 at 01:00:09.7 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction2038 December 26 at 01:02:10.7 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction2038 December 26 at 01:03:10.7 UTC
Last Penumbral Internal Contact2038 December 26 at 01:37:10.7 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact2038 December 26 at 02:40:28.5 UTC
Last Central Line2038 December 26 at 02:40:45.0 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact2038 December 26 at 02:41:01.5 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact2038 December 26 at 03:39:31.2 UTC

ParameterValue
Eclipse Magnitude1.02685
Eclipse Obscuration1.05443
Gamma−0.28813
Sun Right Ascension18h18m51.7s
Sun Declination-23°21'47.8"
Sun Semi-Diameter16'15.7"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.9"
Moon Right Ascension18h18m46.7s
Moon Declination-23°39'05.4"
Moon Semi-Diameter16'25.8"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax1°00'18.1"
ΔT78.0 s

Eclipse season

This eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months 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.
December 11
Ascending node
December 26
Descending node
Penumbral lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 116		Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 142

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 2038

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 142

Inex

Triad