PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE · SUN SETS DURINGNatal, BrazilSaturday 14 October 2023 · times in UTC-3
3m 37s
OF TOTAL DARKNESS
The Moon crossed the centre of the Sun but was too far away to cover it, so a complete ring of sunlight remained. It never went dark, and it was never safe to look without a filter.
THE SUN SETS PART-WAY THROUGH
Sunset was at 17:13, with the Sun still 88.4% covered. Everything after that happened below the horizon.02 · TIMING
When did it happen?
The whole eclipse ran 2h 22m. All times are local, in UTC-3.
15:29 MAX 16:45 17:51
| Phase | LOCAL TIME | SUN |
|---|---|---|
| First contactthe Moon touches the Sun's edge | 15:29 | 25° W |
| Totality beginsfilters off — the corona | 16:43 | — |
| Maximumthe deepest point | 16:45 | 6° W |
| Totality endsfilters back on, immediately | 16:47 | — |
| SUNSET 17:13 NOTHING BELOW THIS LINE IS VISIBLE | ||
| Last contacthappens after the Sun has set | 17:51 | BELOW HORIZON10° under |
Times for the hidden phases are given because they are real — they are simply not observable from here.
03 · DIRECTION
Where was it in the sky?
At maximum the Sun was just 6° above the horizon to the west — low enough to need a clear, flat horizon, over water or from high ground.
The Sun's height and bearing at maximum, from Natal. The horizon is at 0°.
THE EXPERIENCE
What it was actually like
At maximum the Moon sat wholly inside the Sun's disc and left a complete ring of sunlight. There was no corona and no darkness — the remaining ring was still far too bright to look at — but the light went strange and flat, and shadows sharpened.
04 · POSITION
Where was it seen?
Natal lay inside the path, 68 km from its centre line. The path was 237 km wide here.
THE DAY
- SUNRISE
- 05:00
- SUNSET
- 17:13
- DAY LENGTH
- 12h 13m
- CIVIL DUSK
- 17:34
REFERENCE FIGURES
- OBSCURATION
- 88.4%
- COORDINATES
- 5.795° S, 35.209° W
- PATH WIDTH
- 237 km
- SHADOW SPEED
- 2,019 km/h
- SAROS
- 134 · no. 41
- MAGNITUDE
- 0.9533
- GAMMA
- 0.3754
Contact times are accurate to a couple of seconds at the coordinates above. Altitudes are geometric — unrefracted, on the WGS 84 ellipsoid.
NEXT FROM NATAL
What else is coming here?
The rest of what the sky over Natal has coming, soonest first.