PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSEWashington DC, United StatesMonday 8 April 2024 · times in UTC-4
87.4%
OF THE SUN COVERED
A clear bite was taken out of the Sun. Daylight barely changed, so this was an eclipse you had to know about in advance to notice.
02 · TIMING
When did it happen?
The whole eclipse ran 2h 29m. All times are local, in UTC-4.
14:04 MAX 15:20 16:32
| Phase | LOCAL TIME | SUN |
|---|---|---|
| First contactthe Moon touches the Sun's edge | 14:04 | 56° SSW |
| Maximumthe deepest point | 15:20 | 47° SW |
| Last contactthe Sun is whole again | 16:32 | 35° WSW |
03 · DIRECTION
Where was it in the sky?
At maximum the Sun stood 47° above the horizon to the south-west — high enough to clear most buildings and trees.
The Sun's height and bearing at maximum, from Washington DC. The horizon is at 0°.
THE EXPERIENCE
What it was actually like
A distinct bite was taken out of the Sun, reaching 87.4% at maximum. Daylight barely changed — the eye adapts far too well for that — so this was an eclipse you had to know about in advance to notice. Anyone watching needed a filter; the remaining Sun was as dangerous as an uneclipsed one.
04 · POSITION
Where was it seen?
The path passed 459 km to the north-west of Washington DC and was 179 km wide. Only inside it was the Sun covered completely.
THE DAY
- SUNRISE
- 06:41
- SUNSET
- 19:39
- DAY LENGTH
- 12h 58m
- CIVIL DUSK
- 20:06
REFERENCE FIGURES
- OBSCURATION
- 87.4%
- COORDINATES
- 38.907° N, 77.037° W
- PATH WIDTH
- 179 km
- SHADOW SPEED
- 2,523 km/h
- SAROS
- 139 · no. 33
- MAGNITUDE
- 0.8908
- GAMMA
- 0.3430
Contact times are accurate to a couple of seconds at the coordinates above. Altitudes are geometric — unrefracted, on the WGS 84 ellipsoid.
NEXT FROM WASHINGTON DC
What else is coming here?
The rest of what the sky over Washington DC has coming, soonest first.