Solar eclipse of March 20, 2015
| Solar eclipse of March 20, 2015 | |
|---|---|
From Longyearbyen, Svalbard
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Map
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| Type of eclipse | |
| Nature | Total |
| Gamma | 0.9454 |
| Magnitude | 1.0445 |
| Maximum eclipse | |
| Duration | 167 sec (2 m 47 s) |
| Coordinates | 64°24′N 6°36′W / 64.4°N 6.6°W |
| Max. width of band | 463 km (288 mi) |
| Times (UTC) | |
| Greatest eclipse | 9:46:47 |
| References | |
| Saros | 120 (61 of 71) |
| Catalog # (SE5000) | 9541 |
A total solar eclipse occurred on March 20, 2015. 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 a partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide.
It had a magnitude of 1.045. The longest duration of totality was 2 minutes and 47 seconds off the coast of the Faroe Islands. It was the last total solar eclipse visible in Europe until the eclipse of August 12, 2026.
The track of totality passed across the North Atlantic and into the Arctic Ocean. The only populated places from which the totality could be seen were the Faroe Islands and Svalbard.
The solar eclipse began at 08:30GMT in North West Europe and moved towards the northeast but still in northern Europe. It was most visible from the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Faroe Islands, northern Norway and Murmansk Oblast. The shadow began its pass off the south coast of Greenland. It then moved to the northeast, passing between Iceland and the United Kingdom before moving over the Faroe Islands and the northernmost islands of Norway. The shadow of the eclipse was visible in varying degrees all over Europe. For example, London experienced an 85% partial solar eclipse while points north of the Faroe Islands in the Norwegian Sea saw a complete solar eclipse.
The eclipse was observed at radio frequencies at the Metsähovi Radio Observatory, Finland, where a partial eclipse was seen. The eclipse was also observed by meteorological satellite Meteosat-10.
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