Working Group on Solar Eclipses

The tasks of the International Astronomical Union’s Working Group on Solar Eclipses include:

a) working with the general public, providing materials and links to explain why eclipses are interesting to watch, how to observe them safely, and what science is being studied; and
b) working with professional astronomers from around the world, to help coordinate their expeditions to total solar eclipses, including helping them work with customs in various countries about the temporary importation of scientific equipment.

Future Eclipses

2019: July 2, Pacific Ocean, Chile, and Argentina (total eclipse) , Google Map from Xavier Jubier
2019: December 26, Saudi Arabia, Oman; India and Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore; southernmost Philippines; Guam (annular eclipse) , Google Map from Xavier Jubier
2020: December 14, Pacific Ocean, Chile, Argentina, Atlantic Ocean (total eclipse) , Google Map from Xavier Jubier
2020: June 21, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Oman; Pakistan, India, China, Taiwan (annular eclipse) , Google Map from Xavier Jubier
2021: June 10, Arctic (Canada, Greenland, Russia); partial phases throughout the Eastern U.S.A., Europe, and northern Asia (annular eclipse) , Google Map from Xavier Jubier
Annular eclipse of October 14, 2023

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/xSE_GoogleMap3.php?Ecl=+20231014&Acc=2&Umb=1&Lmt=1&Mag=1&Max=1&Map=ROADMAP
Total eclipse of April 8, 2024

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/xSE_GoogleMap3.php?Ecl=+20240408&Acc=2&Umb=1&Lmt=1&Mag=1&Max=1&Map=ROADMAP
Fred Espenak’s Google eclipse maps for every solar eclipse from -1999 to +3000 http://eclipsewise.com/solar/solar.html

August 21, 2017, Eclipse

- - 2017: August 21 Total Eclipse in the U.S., Google Map from Xavier Jubier
  - 2017: Fred Espenak’s EclipseWise
  - 2017: Michael Zeiler’s Great American Eclipse
  - Jason Craig and Kevin Hussey’s NASA’s JPL’s Eyes Website
  - Jay Anderson’s Weather Statistics for Future Eclipses
  - Pasachoff and Fraknoi: Resource Letter on Observing Solar Eclipses, American Journal of Physics, July 2017, Download PDF.
  - Pasachoff: Heliophysics at total solar eclipses, Nature Astronomy, August 2017, Download PDF, Online Sharing
  - Book reviews of several eclipse-related books (Baron; Aveni; Close; Dvorak; Nordgren; Littmann and Espenak): “four books all anticipate the coming celestial event in different ways.” Nature 545, 409–410 (25 May 2017) doi:10.1038/545409a
    
    Download PDF

Previous Eclipses

Reference Materials

- - - The Sun by Pasachoff and Leon Golub
    - Eclipse Map Sites
      - Previous Eclipses
        
        2014: October 23 Partial Eclipse in Western US/Canada, Pacific, and Siberia
        
        2015: March 20 Total Eclipse in Arctic, including Svalbard and Faroes; Partial Throughout Europe
        
        2015 Map with Partial-Eclipse Contours
        
        2015: September 13 Great American Eclipse
        
        2016: March 9 Total Eclipse in Indonesia
        
        2016: September 1 Annular Eclipse in Africa
    - Eclipse Web Sites
    - Andy Fraknoi’s ASP Resource Guide
    - Dennis Schatz and Andrew Fraknoi’s Solar Science book with student exercises online or for purchase
    - Publications
    - Satellites and Observatories
    - Shadow Bands and Sunspot Numbers
    - Miscellaneous Links
    - “The Eclipse” by James Fenimore Cooper
    - https://sites.williams.edu/eclipse/

Eye Safety and Solar Filters

Sources of Partial-Eclipse-Viewing Filters

- - - Thousand Oaks Optical
    - Rainbow Symphony
    - American Paper Optics
    - Baader Planetarium (Germany)
      - Baader Planetarium Link 2
      - Baader Planetarium Eclipse Glasses
      Thousand Oaks Optical and Baader Planetarium can supply sheets of filter material for use on telescopes or for groups.
      - Amazon
      - Favorite Planets

Eclipse Resources: Science, Observing, History

resources-books-articles-links