Annular solar eclipse of June 1, 2030: a ring of fire from the Sahara to Hokkaido.
On June 1, 2030 a ring eclipse sweeps across the whole width of the Old World. The path of annularity begins at sunrise in the Algerian Sahara, crosses Tunisia, the Mediterranean, Greece, and Turkey in the early morning, runs the length of southern Russia and Siberia through the middle of the day, clips northeastern China, and ends at sunset over the Pacific beyond Hokkaido, Japan. The ring lasts up to 5 minutes 21 seconds, and greatest eclipse is at 06:28 UTC over southwestern Siberia. Athens and Istanbul both sit inside the path. This page gives the route, the times, and who sees a partial eclipse.
Where is the path of annularity?
The path is about 250 km wide. It starts on land, in the Grand Erg Oriental of the Algerian Sahara at 04:52 UTC, and moves northeast across Tunisia and the Ionian Sea to the Gulf of Corinth in Greece at about 05:00 UTC, then over the Dardanelles and just west of Istanbul at 05:04 to 05:07 UTC. Across the Black Sea it enters Russia near Krasnodar, passes Volgograd, crosses the Urals into western Siberia, and runs close along the Russia-Kazakhstan border near Petropavl at about 06:12 UTC. Greatest eclipse comes at 06:28 UTC in Novosibirsk Oblast near the Tomsk border. The line continues over Krasnoyarsk and eastern Siberia, dips into Heilongjiang in northeastern China at 07:42 to 07:50 UTC, returns over Russia's Primorsky region, crosses the Sea of Japan, and passes over Hokkaido at about 07:58 UTC before ending at sunset in the North Pacific at 08:05 UTC. Libya, Malta, southeastern Bulgaria, Crimea, and northern Kazakhstan lie inside the path's edges.
What time is the eclipse in Athens, Istanbul, and other cities?
Greatest eclipse is at 06:28 UTC with a magnitude of 0.944, the Moon covering 94 percent of the Sun's diameter, so the ring is thin and the light noticeably dims. Published path tables give the ring at about 05:50 to 05:54 CET in Zarzis, Tunisia (3 minutes 48 seconds); 06:49 to 06:53 EET in Tripoli, Libya (3 minutes 54 seconds); 07:56 to 08:00 EEST in Athens (4 minutes); 08:02 to 08:06 in Istanbul (4 minutes 31 seconds); 08:25 to 08:30 Moscow time in Volgograd (4 minutes 55 seconds); 13:46 to 13:51 local time in Krasnoyarsk (4 minutes 46 seconds); and 16:54 to 16:58 JST in Sapporo (4 minutes 17 seconds), with the Sun low in the west. Omsk sits near the path's edge and gets under 3 minutes.
Who sees a partial eclipse?
Almost everyone in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, plus the Arctic and Alaska. London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Cairo, Moscow, Tehran, Delhi, Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo all see the Moon cover part of the Sun, deepest for cities nearest the path. In western Europe the eclipse is under way at sunrise; in Japan it is under way at sunset. The Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, and Australia see nothing.
Why is it annular?
The Moon reaches apogee on May 31, the day before, so its disc is near its smallest and cannot cover the Sun. At 94 percent coverage this is one of the deeper annular eclipses of the decade: inside the path the light takes on the flat, silvery quality of a deep partial eclipse, and the temperature drops, but the sky never goes dark and the Sun's corona does not appear. The Moon distance page explains why the Moon's apparent size swings by 14 percent from perigee to apogee.
Is it safe to look at an annular eclipse?
No, at no point. The Sun is never fully covered, so certified eclipse glasses or a projection method are required for the entire event, ring included. A 6 percent sliver of Sun is still far too bright to look at.
What else does 2030 hold?
Two weeks later, on June 15, 2030, the full moon passes half into Earth's shadow as a partial lunar eclipse, visible from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia; it is also a supermoon. On November 25, 2030 the year's total solar eclipse crosses Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, and southern Australia. The 2030 meteor shower calendar and supermoon dates cover the rest of the year's sky.
Quick answers.
What time is the June 1, 2030 eclipse?
Greatest eclipse is at 06:28 UTC over southwestern Siberia. The ring passes Athens at about 07:58 EEST, Istanbul at about 08:04, and Sapporo at about 16:56 JST.
How long does the ring last?
Up to 5 minutes 21 seconds on the central line in Siberia, about 4 minutes in Athens, 4 minutes 31 seconds in Istanbul, and 4 minutes 17 seconds in Sapporo.
Which capitals are inside the path?
Athens and Tripoli on or near the central line, Istanbul just inside, and Valletta in Malta inside the path's edge. Rome, Cairo, Moscow, Beijing, and Tokyo see a partial eclipse only.