A total solar eclipse will occur at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Monday, March 20, 2034, with a magnitude of 1.0458. 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 1.3 days before perigee (on March 21, 2034, at 18:15 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter will be larger. Totality will be visible from Nigeria, northern Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, northern India, and western China. A partial eclipse will be visible for parts of eastern Brazil, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia. Coincidentally, The eclipse passes through many Islamic countries around the date of Islamic New Year (estimated around March 20–21 according to local traditions, time zone and atmospheric conditions), and also passes through Iran only a few hours before the vernal equinox, marking the beginning of the Persian New Year. Since the Islamic lunar year is 11–12 days shorter than the solar year that the Iranian calendar observes, the Islamic New Year rotates through the seasons of the year, while the Persian one is on nearly fixed date on Gregorian calendar. It is an extremely rare case that the two new years meet.

Images

Animated path

Details of totality in some places or cities

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.

Eclipse season

This 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.

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 2034

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 130

Inex

Triad

Solar eclipses of 2033–2036

Saros 130

Metonic series

Tritos series

Inex series