TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSEJohannesburg, South AfricaSunday 24 October 2060 · times in UTC+2
7m 51s
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.
When the filter comes off →86% COVERED SUN 74° UP 33 km OFF CENTRE
02 · TIMING
When does it happen?
The whole eclipse runs 3h 32m. All times are local, in UTC+2.
09:41 MAX 11:23 13:13
| Phase | LOCAL TIME | SUN |
|---|---|---|
| First contactthe Moon touches the Sun's edge | 09:41 | 56° ENE |
| Totality beginsfilters off — the corona | 11:19 | — |
| Maximumthe deepest point | 11:23 | 74° NNE |
| Totality endsfilters back on, immediately | 11:27 | — |
| Last contactthe Sun is whole again | 13:13 | 66° WNW |
03 · DIRECTION
Where do I look?
At maximum the Sun stands 74° above the horizon, almost overhead, so anywhere with a view of the sky will do.
The Sun's height and bearing at maximum, from Johannesburg. 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?
Johannesburg lies inside the path, 33 km from its centre line. The path is 281 km wide here.
THE DAY
- SUNRISE
- 05:24
- SUNSET
- 18:20
- DAY LENGTH
- 12h 56m
- CIVIL DUSK
- 18:43
REFERENCE FIGURES
- OBSCURATION
- 86%
- COORDINATES
- 26.205° S, 28.05° E
- PATH WIDTH
- 281 km
- SHADOW SPEED
- 2,027 km/h
- SAROS
- 144 · no. 27
- MAGNITUDE
- 0.9552
- GAMMA
- -0.2626
Contact times are accurate to a couple of seconds at the coordinates above. Altitudes are geometric — unrefracted, on the WGS 84 ellipsoid.
NEXT FROM JOHANNESBURG
What else is coming here?
The rest of what the sky over Johannesburg has coming, soonest first.