USA Eclipse Bonanza

As stated in the "When" section, solar eclpises occur in complex and unpredictable patterns -- for practical purposes, at "random". On average, though, any given spot on the Earth's surface will see a total eclipse of the Sun once every 360 years or so. So seeing two total eclipses of the Sun at the same spot in just 7 years would be fairly remarkable -- and seeing four total eclipses over a small region of the Earth in just 35 years would be incredible.

However, that's exactly what's going to happen in the middle of the United States in the next 50 years -- four total eclipses of the Sun will cross a region just 600 miles across, within the space of 35 years. Two places in the USA will each see two total eclipses of the Sun separated by just 7 years. And as if that wasn't enough, just 20 years later it happens again in Mexico, just over the border from Texas!

Here's a map that shows the action in the south-east USA over the 21st century:

So, in just the next 50 years:

• The centre of the 21 August, 2017 eclipse passes close to Carbondale, Illinois; 7 years later, the centre of the 8 April, 2024 eclipse crosses the same spot.

• The 2024 eclipse also passes a point just south of Nimrod Lake, Arkansas; 21 years after that, the centre of the 12 August, 2045 eclipse crosses the same point.

• The 2045 eclipse also passes over Altha, Fl, south-west of Lake Seminole; 7 years later, the total eclipse of 30 March, 2052 crosses the same spot.

And then it's Mexico's turn for the eclipse bonanza:

• The 2052 eclipse crossed the Laguna Madre area, in Mexico, just 40 miles from Texas, before entering the USA; 19 years later, the total eclipse of 23 September, 2071 crosses the same area.

• 7 years later, the centre of the the 11 May, 2078 eclipse crosses the same Laguna Madre area -- and goes on to cross the 2045 and 2017 eclipse paths over the USA. So the same spot in Laguna Madre will see 3 total eclipses of the Sun in 26 years.

This is all just part of an amazing eclipse bonanza which is going to hit the USA over the next century -- a total of 11 total solar eclipses will be visible from the mainland USA.

This map shows the paths of all total eclipses of the Sun which will be visible from the USA in this century. Note that there is no total eclipse visible from Hawaii this century, although the islands will see an annular eclipse in 2046:

These eclipses are listed here; where the date is highlighted, you can click on it to go to a detailed page about that eclipse:

21 Aug 2017 - Total Solar Eclipse

(Saros 145, umbral mag. 1.031, max. eclipse 18:25 UT
    total: 16:48:33 UT to 20:02:30 UT)
The path starts in the Pacific, crosses right over the U.S.A., and ends in the mid Atlantic off Africa. The eclipse will be visible as a spectacular total eclipse to millions of people in Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, the north-east corner of Kansas, Missouri, southern Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, north-east Georgia, and the Carolinas.

The maximum duration is 2 minutes 40 seconds, and the path width at maximum is 115 kilometers.

8 Apr 2024 - Total Solar Eclipse

(Saros 139, umbral mag. 1.057, max. eclipse 18:17 UT
    total: 16:38:44 UT to 19:55:29 UT)
A spectacular total eclipse will start in the Line Islands in the Pacific, cross over northern Mexico, then into Texas, passing the mid-eastern USA and the east of Canada, before finishing in the north Atlantic. The eclipse will be visible to millions in Mexico in Sinaloa, Durango, and Coahuila; in the USA from Texas through Ohio, New York, Vermont, and Maine; and in Quebec, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland in Canada.

The total eclipse will last for almost 4½ minutes at maximum, and will be visible across a path up to 197 km wide.

30 Mar 2033 - Total Solar Eclipse

(Saros 120, umbral mag. 1.046, max. eclipse 18:01 UT
    total: 17:35:34 UT to 18:26:17 UT)
A marginal total eclipse will curve a broad path around the Arctic, clipping the far eastern tip of Russia, and taking in north-western Alaska, before ending in the Arctic Ocean.

The total eclipse will last for 2 minutes 37 seconds at maximum, and will be visible across a path up to 781 km wide.

23 Aug 2044 - Total Solar Eclipse

(Saros 126, umbral mag. 1.036, max. eclipse 01:15 UT
    total: 00:44:16 UT on August 23 to 01:46:52 UT on August 23)
A marginal total eclipse will be visible in a broad but short path which curves from north-west Greenland, across northern Canada, and down through Alberta to finish in the US states of Montana and North Dakota.

The total eclipse will last for 2 minutes 34 seconds at maximum, and will be visible across a path up to 452 km wide.

12 Aug 2045 - Total Solar Eclipse

(Saros 136, umbral mag. 1.077, max. eclipse 17:41 UT
    total: 15:59:07 UT to 19:22:56 UT)
A spectacular total eclipse will start in the north Pacific before crossing the USA, the Caribbean, and north-eastern South America, making a tremendous spectacle for millions in the path of totality. The total eclipse will be visible in California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil.

The total eclipse will last for over 6 minutes at maximum, and will be visible across a path up to 256 km wide.

30 Mar 2052 - Total Solar Eclipse

(Saros 130, umbral mag. 1.047, max. eclipse 18:30 UT
    total: 16:50:23 UT to 20:09:36 UT)
A total eclipse will start in the Pacific before crossing Mexico, the USA's Gulf coast, and the Florida/Georgia border area, finishing in the Atlantic. This will give millions of people an excellent chance to witness an impressive eclipse.

The total eclipse will last for over 4 minutes at maximum, and will be visible across a path up to 164 km wide.

23 Sep 2071 - Total Solar Eclipse

(Saros 145, umbral mag. 1.033, max. eclipse 17:18 UT
    total: 15:35:06 UT to 19:01:19 UT)
A total eclipse of the Sun will begin in the north Pacific, and run south-east through northern Mexico, passing within a few miles of the southernmost tip of Texas; it will then cross the Yucatan, the Caribbean, and the north-eastern countries of South America.

This will be an impressive total eclipse, lasting 3 minutes 10 seconds at maximum, and visible across a path 116 km wide. A partial eclipse will be visible over most of the Americas.

11 May 2078 - Total Solar Eclipse

(Saros 139, umbral mag. 1.070, max. eclipse 17:54 UT
    total: 16:11:44 UT to 19:37:11 UT)
A major total eclipse will begin in the Pacific, then cross Mecico before running up the US Gulf coast, crossing the south-eastern states before running off to finish in the Atlantic. This will be a great spectacle for millions of people in the eclpse path.

The total eclipse will last for 5 minutes 40 seconds at maximum, and will be visible across a path up to 232 km wide.

1 May 2079 - Total Solar Eclipse

(Saros 149, umbral mag. 1.051, max. eclipse 10:47 UT
    total: 10:01:56 UT to 11:33:13 UT)
The USA is truly blessed with eclipses in the 21st century, May 2079 seeing the second total eclipse of the Sun in the USA in just 1 year. The eclipse is confines to a short path in the northern regions of the Earth, curving from New York, across Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, and then up Greenland into the Arctic ocean.

The total eclipse will last for almost 3 minutes at maximum, and will be visible across a path up to 406 km wide.

11 May 2097 - Total Solar Eclipse

(Saros 149, umbral mag. 1.054, max. eclipse 18:31 UT
    total: 17:35:07 UT to 19:27:49 UT)
A total eclipse of the Sun will begin in the Pacific, cut north-east through Alaska, and cross Svalbard to finish in far northern Lappland. Maximum eclipse occurs in northern Alaska.

The total eclipse will last for just over 3 minutes at maximum, and will be visible across a path up to 340 km wide. The partial eclipse will be visible over most of Canada, and the northwestern USA.

14 Sep 2099 - Total Solar Eclipse

(Saros 136, umbral mag. 1.068, max. eclipse 16:54 UT
    total: 15:19:05 UT to 18:30:50 UT)
A spectacular total eclipse of the Sun will begin just off the Pacific coast of Canada, then cross north America from British Columbia, through Alberta, Saskatchewan, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, the Virginias, and North Carolina.

The total eclipse will last for 5 minutes 17 seconds at maximum, and will be visible across a path up to 241 km wide. The partial eclipse will be visible overalmost all of North America, and most of South America north of Argentina.