Last solar eclipse of 2021 on December 4

Last solar eclipse of 2021 on December 4
# 03 December 2021 12:35 (UTC +04:00)

On December 4, a total solar eclipse, the last of the year, will be visible from Antarctica, APA reports.

The southern tip of South America, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand can also see partial phases of the eclipse.

A total solar eclipse sweeps across Antarctica on December 4, 2021. The instant of greatest eclipse takes place at 07:33 UTC, which is 1:33 a.m. on the morning of December 4 for us in North America. So North Americans will not see the eclipse. People located at the southernmost tips of South America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand will experience the partial phases.

The path of the moon’s umbral shadow begins in the Southern Ocean about 300 miles (500 km) southeast of the Falkland Islands, crosses the Antarctic continent, and ends at sunset in the Southern Ocean. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much broader path of the moon’s penumbral shadow, which includes the Southern Ocean, southern Africa and the southeastern corner of Australia and Tasmania.

The eastern edge of the eclipse path passes within 225 miles (360 km) of South Georgia Island. This island is renowned for its whaling stations during the first half of the 20th century, and as the starting and ending point of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s remarkable attempt to cross the Antarctic continent (1914-1917).

The South Orkney Islands are the only land in the path prior to reaching Antarctica. However, they straddle the western edge of the path with the Coronation Islands bisected by the path edge. Apart from the personnel at several research stations, there are no permanent inhabitants on the islands. From the eastern coast of easternmost Laurie Island, the duration of totality is 1 minute 8 seconds with the sun 8 degrees above the horizon.

The path continues south across the Weddell Sea where the instant of greatest eclipse occurs at 07:33:27 UT1. The duration is 1 minute 54 seconds, the sun’s altitude is 17 degrees, and the path width is 260 miles (419 km).

Traversing the Ronne Ice Shelf, the path quickly crosses Antarctica and reaches the coast of the Amundsen Sea at 08:01 UT1. The central duration has dropped to 1 minute 38 seconds and the sun is 7 degrees above the horizon. Now heading north, the umbral path ends three minutes later as the shadow lifts off of Earth in the Southern Ocean at 08:04 UT1.

Find maps and eclipse timings below. Remember to convert UTC to your time. Note the different between UTC and UT1. You can visit timeanddate.com to get an exact timing of the eclipse from your location. The number one rule for solar eclipse observing is to make sure you protect your eyes by using an appropriate filter.

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THE OPERATION IS BEING PERFORMED