Solar eclipse of December 26, 2038
Map
Type of eclipse
Nature	Total
Gamma	−0.2881
Magnitude	1.0268
Maximum eclipse
Duration	138 sec (2 m 18 s)
Coordinates	40°18′S 164°00′E / 40.3°S 164°E / -40.3; 164
Max. width of band	95 km (59 mi)
Times (UTC)
Greatest eclipse	1:00:10
References
Saros	142 (24 of 72)
Catalog # (SE5000)	9594

A total solar eclipse will occur on December 26, 2038. 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 the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide.

Images

Animated path

Related eclipses

There are 7 eclipses in 2038 (the maximum possible), included four penumbral lunar eclipses: January 21, June 17, July 16, and December 11.

Solar eclipses of 2036–2039

This eclipse is a member of a semester series. An eclipse in a semester series of solar eclipses repeats approximately every 177 days and 4 hours (a semester) at alternating nodes of the Moon's orbit.^[1]

Note: Partial solar eclipses on February 27, 2036 and August 21, 2036 occur on the previod lunar year eclipse set.

Solar eclipse series sets from 2036–2039
Ascending node			Descending node
117	July 23, 2036 Partial		122	January 16, 2037 Partial
127	July 13, 2037 Total		132	January 5, 2038 Annular
137	July 2, 2038 Annular		142	December 26, 2038 Total
147	June 21, 2039 Annular		152	December 15, 2039 Total

Saros series 142

It is a part of Saros cycle 142, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, containing 72 events. The series started with partial solar eclipse on April 17, 1624. It contains one hybrid eclipse on July 14, 1768, and total eclipses from July 25, 1786 through October 29, 2543. The series ends at member 72 as a partial eclipse on June 5, 2904. The longest duration of totality will be 6 minutes, 34 seconds on May 28, 2291. All eclipses in this series occurs at the Moon’s descending node.^[2]

Series members 17–41 occur between 1901 and 2359
17	18	19
October 10, 1912	October 21, 1930	November 1, 1948
20	21	22
November 12, 1966	November 22, 1984	December 4, 2002
23	24	25
December 14, 2020	December 26, 2038	January 5, 2057
26	27	28
January 16, 2075	January 27, 2093	February 8, 2111
29	30	31
February 18, 2129	March 2, 2147	March 12, 2165
32	33	34
March 23, 2183	April 4, 2201	April 15, 2219
35	36	37
April 25, 2237	May 7, 2255	May 17, 2273
38	39	40
May 28, 2291	June 9, 2309	June 20, 2327
41
June 30, 2345

Metonic series

The metonic series repeats eclipses every 19 years (6939.69 days), lasting about 5 cycles. Eclipses occur in nearly the same calendar date. In addition, the octon subseries repeats 1/5 of that or every 3.8 years (1387.94 days). All eclipses in this table occur at the Moon's descending node.^[3]

Octon series with 21 events between May 21, 1993 and August 2, 2065
May 20–21	March 8–9	December 25–26	October 13–14	August 1–2
98	100	102	104	106
May 21, 1955	March 9, 1959	December 26, 1962	October 14, 1966	August 2, 1970
108	110	112	114	116
May 21, 1974	March 9, 1978	December 26, 1981	October 14, 1985	August 1, 1989
118	120	122	124	126
May 21, 1993	March 9, 1997	December 25, 2000	October 14, 2004	August 1, 2008
128	130	132	134	136
May 20, 2012	March 9, 2016	December 26, 2019	October 14, 2023	August 2, 2027
138	140	142	144	146
May 21, 2031	March 9, 2035	December 26, 2038	October 14, 2042	August 2, 2046
148	150	152	154	156
May 20, 2050	March 9, 2054	December 26, 2057	October 13, 2061	August 2, 2065
158	160	162	164	166
May 20, 2069	March 8, 2073	December 26, 2076	October 13, 2080	August 1, 2084