Solar Eclipse

Moon occulting the Sun

The Moon — 400× smaller than the Sun but 400× closer — fits neatly over the solar disc during totality, revealing the corona. Eclipses recur in Saros families as the Sun-Earth-Moon geometry repeats, each family drifting slowly across latitudes over 12 centuries.

Key specifications

Max totality

~7 min 32 s

Saros cycle

18 yr 11 d 8 h

Umbra width

100 – 270 km

Angular match

Sun · Moon ≈ 0.5°

Sheet 008 · Plate 1 of 1 · 1:1 infographic

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