PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE · SUN SETS DURINGCotonou, BeninSaturday 6 February 2027 · times in UTC+1
5m 27s
OF TOTAL DARKNESS
The Moon crosses the centre of the Sun but is too far away to cover it, so a complete ring of sunlight remains. It never goes dark and it is never safe to look without a filter.
THE SUN SETS PART-WAY THROUGH
Sunset is at 19:00, with the Sun still 83.7% covered. Everything after that happens below your horizon.02 · TIMING
When does it happen?
The whole eclipse runs 2h 10m. All times are local, in UTC+1.
17:43 MAX 18:52 19:54
| Phase | LOCAL TIME | SUN |
|---|---|---|
| First contactthe Moon touches the Sun's edge | 17:43 | 17° WSW |
| Totality beginsfilters off — the corona | 18:49 | — |
| Maximumthe deepest point | 18:52 | 1° WSW |
| Totality endsfilters back on, immediately | 18:55 | — |
| SUNSET 19:00 NOTHING BELOW THIS LINE IS VISIBLE | ||
| Last contacthappens after the Sun has set | 19:54 | BELOW HORIZON14° under |
Times for the hidden phases are given because they are real — they are simply not observable from here.
03 · DIRECTION
Where do I look?
At maximum the Sun is just 1° above the horizon to the west. You will need a clear, flat horizon — over water, or from high ground.
The Sun's height and bearing at maximum, from Cotonou. The horizon is at 0°.
THE EXPERIENCE
What it will actually be like
At maximum the Moon sits wholly inside the Sun's disc and leaves a complete ring of sunlight. There is no corona and no darkness — the remaining ring is still far too bright to look at — but the light goes strange and flat, and shadows sharpen.
SAFETY
Looking at it without hurting yourself
Keep a certified solar filter on for every part of the eclipse except totality itself. During totality, and only then, it is safe to look with the naked eye — and the filter must go back on the instant the Sun reappears.
Sunglasses, smoked glass, exposed film and phone screens are not filters. If you can see anything else through it, it is not dark enough.
04 · POSITION
Should I travel?
Cotonou lies inside the path, 87 km from its centre line. The path is 282 km wide here.
THE DAY
- SUNRISE
- 07:07
- SUNSET
- 19:00
- DAY LENGTH
- 11h 53m
- CIVIL DUSK
- 19:22
REFERENCE FIGURES
- OBSCURATION
- 83.7%
- COORDINATES
- 6.366° N, 2.418° E
- PATH WIDTH
- 282 km
- SHADOW SPEED
- 2,074 km/h
- SAROS
- 131 · no. 46
- MAGNITUDE
- 0.9436
- GAMMA
- -0.2952
Contact times are accurate to a couple of seconds at the coordinates above. Altitudes are geometric — unrefracted, on the WGS 84 ellipsoid.
NEXT FROM COTONOU
What else is coming here?
The rest of what the sky over Cotonou has coming, soonest first.