On Sunday, 2010 July 11, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses Earth's southern Hemisphere. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow crosses the South Pacific Ocean where it makes no landfall except for Mangaia (Cook Islands) and Easter Island (Isla de Pascua). The path of totality ends just after reaching southern Chile and Argentina. The Moon's penumbral shadow produces a partial eclipse visible from a much larger region covering the South Pacific and southern South America
This web site has been established for the purpose of providing detailed predictions, maps, figures and information about this important event. The material here is adapted from Annular and Total Solar Eclipses of 2010 (NASA/TP-2008-214171). The publication date of this document is 2008 December. It is part of NASA's official eclipse bulletin publication series. Instructions and a form for ordering a hard copy of this publication can be found at: Order Form for NASA Eclipse Bulletins.
A special Web site is also available for the Annular Solar Eclipse of 2010 January 15.
Preliminary Look at the Total Solar Eclipse of 2010 July 11
This data is from a paper presented at: IAU Symposium 233 - Solar Activity and Its Magnetic Origin
- Figure 1 - Orthographic (Global) Projection of the 2010 Total Solar Eclipse
- Figure 2 - 2010 Eclipse Path Through Cook Islands
- Figure 3 - 2010 Eclipse Path Through French Polynesia
- Figure 4 - 2010 Eclipse Path Through Easter Island
- Figure 5 - 2010 Eclipse Path Through South America
- Figure 6 - Mean Cloudiness in July Along the 2010 Eclipse Path (from satellite imaging)
- Figure 7 - Climate Statistics for July Along the 2010 Eclipse Path
See also: Eclipse Weather and Maps (Jay Anderson)
Interactive Map of the Path of Totality
An implementation of Google Map has been created which includes the central path of the 2010 total solar eclipse. This allows the user to select any portion of the path and to zoom in using either map data or Earth satellite data.
General Map of the Eclipse Path
The following map shows the overall regions of visibility of the partial eclipse as well as the path of the total eclipse through the Pacific Ocean, Chile and Argentina. It uses high resolution coastline data from the World Data Base II (WDB). Curves of maximum eclipse are included as well as the outline of the umbral shadow.
The map is available as a high resolution (300 dpi) PDF file.
| Figure Number | Title/Description | Map File |
| Figure 3.1 | Orthographic (Global) Map of 2010 Total Solar Eclipse |
From NASA Tech. Pub. Annular and Total Solar Eclipses of 2010 (NASA/TP-2008-214171).
Detailed Maps of the Path of Totality
The following maps show path of the 2010 total eclipse in greater detail. They use high resolution coastline, city and highway data from the Digital Chart of the World (DCW). Each map was chosen to isolate a specific region along the the eclipse path. Curves of maximum eclipse are included as well as the outline of the umbral shadow. Within the umbral path, curves of constant duration have been plotted for totality.
The maps are available as high resolution (300 dpi) PDF files.
| Figure Number | Title/Description | Map File |
| Figure 3.2 | Path of Totality - Mangaia, Cook Islands | |
| Figure 3.3 | Path of Totality - Tahiti | |
| Figure 3.4 | Path of Totality - Tuamotu Archipelago | |
| Figure 3.5 | Path of Totality - Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) | |
| Figure 3.6 | Path of Totality - Chile & Argentina |
From NASA Tech. Pub. Annular and Total Solar Eclipses of 2010 (NASA/TP-2008-214171).
Additional Figures
The following figures depict the lunar limb profile, and meteorological data along the eclipse path.
| Figure Number | Title/Description | Figure File |
| Figure 3.7 | Lunar Limb Profile for 2010 July 11 at 19:30 UT | |
| Figure 3.8 | Typical weather Systems in July | |
| Figure 3.9 | Average Cloudiness in July Along the Eclipse Path | |
| Figure 3.10 | Annual Precipitation Statistics along the Eclipse Path |
From NASA Tech. Pub. Annular and Total Solar Eclipses of 2010 (NASA/TP-2008-214171).
Eclipse Elements, Shadow Contacts and Path of Totality
The following tables give detailed predictions including the Besselian Elements, shadow contacts with Earth, path of the umbral shadow and topocentric data (with path corrections) along the path.
- Table 3.1 - Elements of the Eclipse
- Table 3.2 - Shadow Contacts and Circumstances
- Table 3.3 - Path of the Umbral Shadow
- Table 3.4 - Physical Ephemeris of the Umbral Shadow
- Table 3.5 - Local Circumstances on the Central Line
- Table 3.6 - Topocentric Data and Path Corrections Due to Lunar Limb Profile
From NASA Tech. Pub. Annular and Total Solar Eclipses of 2010 (NASA/TP-2008-214171).
Coordinate Tables for the Path of Totality
The following tables do not appear in the NASA 2010 Eclipse Bulletin due to page constraints. The tables provide detailed coordinates for the path of the umbral shadow as well as the zones of grazing eclipse. They are listed in a format convenient for plotting on maps.
- Table 3.A - Mapping Coordinates for the Umbral Path
- Table 3.B - Mapping Coordinates for the Umbral Path (Extended - 7.5´ step size)
- Table 3.C - Mapping Coordinates for the Zones of Grazing Eclipse
- Table 3.D - Mapping Coordinates for the Zones of Grazing Eclipse (Extended - 7.5´ step size)
Local Circumstances
The following table gives the local circumstances of the eclipse from various cities throughout the region of eclipse visibility. All contact times are given in the tables are in Universal Time.
From NASA Tech. Pub. Annular and Total Solar Eclipses of 2010 (NASA/TP-2008-214171).
Additional Tables
The following tables also appear in the Annular and Total Solar Eclipses of 2010 (NASA/TP-2008-214171).
- Table 3.8 - Climate Statistics for July Along the Total Eclipse Path
- Tables 4.1 & 4.2 - Eclipse Photography
Explanation of Eclipse Maps and Tables
The following links give detailed descriptions and explanations of the eclipse maps and tables.
- Map 3.1 - Orthographic Map of the Eclipse Path
- Table 3.1 - Elements of the Eclipse
- Table 3.2 - Shadow Contacts and Circumstances
- Table 3.3 - Path of the Umbral (or Antumbral) Shadow
- Table 3.4 - Physical Ephemeris of the Umbral (or Antumbral) Shadow
- Table 3.5 - Local Circumstances on the Central Line
- Table 3.6 - Topocentric Data and Path Corrections Due to Lunar Limb Profile
- Table 3.A & 3.B - Mapping Coordinates for the Central Path
- Table 3.C & 3.D - Coordinates for the Zones of Grazing Eclipse
- Mean Lunar Radius
- Lunar Limb Profile
- Limb Corrections to the Path Limits: Graze Zones
- Local Circumstances Tables for Total Solar Eclipses
Reproduction of Eclipse Data
All eclipse calculations are by Fred Espenak, and he assumes full responsibility for their accuracy. Permission is freely granted to reproduce this data when accompanied by an acknowledgment:
"Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA's GSFC"
For more information, see: NASA Copyright Information
