The total solar eclipse of August 12 2045 will be visible across the USA, the Caribbean, and the north-eastern coastline of South America. This will be an amazing spectacle, lasting just over 6 minutes at maximum and visible to many millions of people over a path up to 256 km wide.
The total eclipse begins north of Hawaii at 15:59:07 UT, and ends in the Atlantic east of Brazil at 19:22:56 UT. The maximum eclipse is at 17:40:58 UT, when the total phase will last just over 6 minutes. The partial eclipse will be visible over the whole of North America and most of South America between 15:05:20 UT and 20:16:41 UT.
More information on this eclipse may be found at Fred Espenak's site. You can plot the eclipse for yourself using the table of mapping co-ordinates.
The following map shows the path of the total eclipse. Please note that these maps are approximate. Check with reliable sources before making travel plans.
This map shows the path of the total eclipse:
The path of the total eclipse makes landfall in Northern California at 16:16 UT, near Cape Mendocino. The eclipse is still young at this point, but nevertheless the total eclipse will last for 4 minutes 23 seconds on the centreline, and be visible over a path 229 km wide.
The zone of totality moves off across California, Nevada and Utah, passing south of Salt Lake City about 16:29 UT. Nephi and Mount Nebo should see a spectacular total eclipse lasting almost 5 minutes; well worth a trip south from the city. The path of totality then moves east across Colorado (south of Denver, but over Lamar), through the southwest corner of Kansas (the centreline will be about 50 miles south of Dodge City), and enters Oklahoma at about 16:48 UT. At this point the total eclipse will last 5 minutes 32 seconds on the centreline.
The centreline of the eclipse passes south of Tulsa -- about over Muskogee -- at about 16:56 UT, with the path of totality being 247 km wide. It then passes into Arkansas, passing just south of Nimrod Lake at 17:00 UT; the eclipse here will last 5 minutes 48 seconds. This same spot saw a total eclipse just 21 years previously on 8 April, 2024. Little Rock will be given a great view of the eclipse, weather permitting.
From Arkansas, the path of totality moves across Mississippi;it clips the corner of Louisiana, but residents would be well advised to move north, closer to the centreline. It then enters Alabama, with the zone of totality passing between Montgomery and Mobile; although the path is 251 km wide at this point, the best view of the eclipse will be from between the two cities.
The centreline of the eclipse then passes into Florida; Lake Seminole, on the corner of Georgia, should be close enough to the centre to have a good experience of the eclipse, which passes over Altha, Fl, south-west of the lake, at 17:21 UT. Seven years later, the total eclipse of 30 March, 2052 crosses the same spot; part of the incredible USA eclipse bonanza.
The centreline passes along the Florida coast from Apalachee Bay to Waccasassa Bay between 17:24 and 17:28 UT; the path of totality is 253 km wide here, so much of Florida will be able to see the eclipse, which will last for 6 minutes and 5 seconds on the centreline -- a very long total eclipse indeed.
The path of totality crosses Florida and hits the ocean again at about Fort Pierce, at 17:35 UT, heading southeast. The moment of maximum eclipse occurs at 17:40:59, at latitude 25° 53.8' north, longitude 78° 29.5' west, which is between Grand Bahama and Andros. The duration at maximum eclipse is 6 minutes 5.7 seconds, and the path width 255.6 km.
Most of the Bahamas are in the zone of totality, which next crosses Hispaniola, most of Haiti and the Dominican Republic seeing a spectacular total eclipse between 18:04 and 18:10 UT.
The eclipse then crosses the Caribbean, with the centreline hitting the Venezualan coast around Punta Peñas and crossing Trinidad about 18:37 UT. The eclipse is waning now, but evem so the duration of the total eclipse on the centreline will be 5 minutes 17 seconds, and the path of totality 257 km wide.
The eclipse moves down the coasts of Venezuela and Guyana, offering superb views to most people on the centreline, if the sky is clear. Georgetown, Guyana, should see a total eclipse of 5 minutes at about 18:46 UT. The eclipse then crosses Suriname and French Guiana, entering Brazil about 18:58. The path of totality crosses the Mouths of the Amazon about 19:04 UT, and then continues south-east, finally reaching the Atlantic coast to the north of Recife at 19:18 UT. Even though approaching its final stages, the total eclipse will still last for 3 minutes 34 seconds on the centreline, still an amazing spectacle.
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Copyright (C) 1995-2005 Ian Cameron Smith.
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