A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Thursday, June 21, 2001, with a magnitude of 1.0495. It was the first solar eclipse of the 21st century. 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. Occurring about 2.25 days before perigee (on June 23, 2001, at 18:20 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Many people traveled to Africa to watch the eclipse; the Daily Telegraph reported that "while some tribesmen watch a celestial crocodile eating the sun, the modern African will be counting the cash brought in by thousands of visitors".
Visibility It was visible from a narrow corridor in the southern Atlantic Ocean and southern Africa, including Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, the southern tip of Malawi, and Madagascar. A partial eclipse was seen from the much broader path of the Moon's penumbra, including eastern South America and most of Africa.
Observations
Within the path of totality, Angola got the best conditions with the highest solar zenith angle, longest duration and largest chance of clear weather. Sumbe, capital of Cuanza Sul Province, where the path first touched land, was the best in Angola with 4 minutes and 34 seconds of totality. However, the Angolan Civil War prevented many from traveling to the county, and only about 500 people observed the eclipse there. Besides tourists, there were also scientists from the United States, France, Brazil, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Portugal and Hungary.
Zambia, though inferior to its neighbouring country Angola in the chance of clear weather, attracted many scientists and tourists due to its stable political situation and also the fact that its capital city Lusaka was also located within the path of totality. The Zambian government made it a national holiday with one day off, and ZamPost also issues special postage stamps and first-day covers. Scientists from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, South Korea and China observed it in Zambia. The Chinese Academy of Sciences sent a team of 6 people, carrying 3 gravimeters, 2 nuclear gyromagnetometers, 4 digital acquisition systems and recording systems to study the gravity anomalies recorded by Indian scientists during the total solar eclipse of October 24, 1995, and by Chinese scientists during the total solar eclipse of March 9, 1997, in Mohe County. With continuous observation for more than 10 years after that, China obtained the first observational evidence that the gravity field propagates at the speed of light.
Coincidence Besides the eclipse, the day was also the June solstice (winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere where the path of totality passed) when the sun was at the northernmost limit. It was also the closest approach of Mars since 1988.
Eclipse timing Places experiencing total eclipse Solar Eclipse of June 21, 2001(Local Times)Country or territory City or placeStart of partial eclipseStart of total eclipseMaximum eclipseEnd of total eclipseEnd of partial eclipseDuration of totality (min:s)Duration of eclipse (hr:min)Maximum magnitude Luena 12:17:31 13:53:19 13:54:50 13:56:20 15:18:53 3:01 3:01 1.0075 Lusaka 13:41:47 15:09:29 15:11:07 15:12:45 16:27:09 3:16 2:45 1.0134 Kabwe 13:42:35 15:10:53 15:11:49 15:12:45 16:27:41 1:52 2:45 1.0036References:
Places experiencing partial eclipse Solar Eclipse of June 21, 2001(Local Times)Country or territory City or placeStart of partial eclipseMaximum eclipseEnd of partial eclipseDuration of eclipse (hr:min)Maximum coverage Rio de Janeiro 06:33:30 07:33:52 08:41:57 2:09 68.00% Montevideo 07:52:21 (sunrise) 07:55:15 08:37:04 0:45 57.03% Jamestown 10:03:44 11:35:29 13:15:36 3:12 96.52% São Tomé 10:45:51 12:21:18 13:52:21 3:07 63.60% Libreville 11:53:46 13:29:18 14:58:12 3:04 63.35% Luanda 11:56:51 13:37:52 15:08:36 3:12 96.31% Windhoek 12:08:55 13:42:20 15:05:41 2:57 68.96% Brazzaville 12:06:41 13:44:43 15:11:37 3:05 78.58% Kinshasa 12:06:42 13:44:47 15:11:41 3:05 78.78% Rundu 12:16:17 13:51:53 15:15:09 2:59 85.38% Maseru 13:38:50 15:00:25 16:12:10 2:33 58.53% Mongu 13:26:50 15:00:59 16:21:41 2:55 97.17% Gaborone 13:34:31 15:01:16 16:16:41 2:42 70.10% Johannesburg 13:39:56 15:04:05 16:17:19 2:37 67.79% Mbabane 13:47:06 15:09:12 16:20:31 2:33 70.94% Lubumbashi 13:40:57 15:10:58 16:27:28 2:47 93.05% Maputo 13:50:14 15:11:41 16:22:18 2:32 73.75% Kitwe 13:42:33 15:11:58 16:27:55 2:45 96.05% Ndola 13:43:39 15:12:38 16:28:14 2:45 96.09% Harare 13:48:24 15:14:41 16:28:17 2:40 97.90% Gitega 13:54:08 15:16:12 16:26:30 2:32 59.64% Kigali 13:56:07 15:16:20 16:25:17 2:29 54.10% Beira 13:56:43 15:19:07 16:29:44 2:33 96.40% Lilongwe 13:56:45 15:20:21 16:31:34 2:35 92.44% Dar es Salaam 15:15:14 16:28:27 17:31:43 2:16 57.99% Moroni 15:19:07 16:31:24 17:34:04 2:15 69.22% Antananarivo 15:20:39 16:31:50 17:21:21 (sunset) 2:01 88.22% Mamoudzou 15:21:49 16:32:39 17:34:17 2:12 69.95% Saint-Denis 16:29:09 17:34:29 17:45:48 (sunset) 1:17 82.40% Port Louis 16:31:56 17:35:26 17:39:01 (sunset) 1:07 76.56%References:
Eclipse details Shown below are two tables displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. The first table outlines times at which the Moon's penumbra or umbra attains the specific parameter, and the second table describes various other parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+June 21, 2001 Solar Eclipse Times Event Time (UTC) First Penumbral External Contact 2001 June 21 at 09:34:04.6 UTC First Umbral External Contact 2001 June 21 at 10:37:00.4 UTC First Central Line 2001 June 21 at 10:38:10.0 UTC First Umbral Internal Contact 2001 June 21 at 10:39:19.9 UTC Ecliptic Conjunction 2001 June 21 at 11:58:49.4 UTC Equatorial Conjunction 2001 June 21 at 11:58:54.2 UTC Greatest Eclipse 2001 June 21 at 12:04:46.3 UTC Greatest Duration 2001 June 21 at 12:07:11.5 UTC Last Umbral Internal Contact 2001 June 21 at 13:30:14.3 UTC Last Central Line 2001 June 21 at 13:31:26.2 UTC Last Umbral External Contact 2001 June 21 at 13:32:37.9 UTC Last Penumbral External Contact 2001 June 21 at 14:35:26.2 UTC
+June 21, 2001 Solar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Eclipse Magnitude 1.04954 Eclipse Obscuration 1.10153 Gamma −0.57013 Sun Right Ascension 06h00m46.1s Sun Declination +23°26'18.2" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'44.3" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7" Moon Right Ascension 06h01m00.5s Moon Declination +22°52'27.2" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'17.6" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°59'47.9" ΔT 64.2 s
Eclipse season
This eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two (or occasionally three) eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months (173 days) later; thus two full eclipse seasons always occur each year. Either two or three eclipses happen each eclipse season. In the sequence below, each eclipse is separated by a fortnight.
+ Eclipse season of June–July 2001 June 21Ascending node (new moon) July 5Descending node (full moon) Total solar eclipseSolar Saros 127 Partial lunar eclipseLunar Saros 139
Related eclipses Eclipses in 2001 A total lunar eclipse on January 9. A total solar eclipse on June 21. A partial lunar eclipse on July 5. An annular solar eclipse on December 14. A penumbral lunar eclipse on December 30.
Metonic Preceded by: Solar eclipse of September 2, 1997 Followed by: Solar eclipse of April 8, 2005
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Solar eclipse of May 10, 1994 Followed by: Solar eclipse of August 1, 2008
Half-Saros Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 15, 1992 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 26, 2010
Tritos Preceded by: Solar eclipse of July 22, 1990 Followed by: Solar eclipse of May 20, 2012
Solar Saros 127 Preceded by: Solar eclipse of June 11, 1983 Followed by: Solar eclipse of July 2, 2019
Inex Preceded by: Solar eclipse of July 10, 1972 Followed by: Solar eclipse of June 1, 2030
Triad Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 21, 1914 Followed by: Solar eclipse of April 21, 2088
Solar eclipses of 2000–2003
Saros 127
Metonic series
Tritos series
Inex series
Notes
References Fred Espenak and Jay Anderson. "Total Solar Eclipse of 2001 June 21". NASA, November 2004.
Map Google
Photos: Spaceweather.com solar eclipse gallery Prof. Druckmüller's eclipse photography site. Zambia Prof. Druckmüller's eclipse photography site. Angola KryssTal - Eclipse in Zimbabwe - in a school by the Ruya River. Images from Zimbabwe by Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society Eclipse in African Skies, APOD 6/22/2001, totality from Lusaka, Zambia Bakasa Eclipse Sequence, APOD 7/6/2001, totality from Bakasa, Zimbabwe A Total Eclipse Over Africa, APOD 7/11/2001, totality from Malambanyama, Zambia Madagascar Totality, APOD 7/26/2001, from southern Madagascar Eclipse Over Acacia, APOD 12/3/2002, from Chisamba, Zambia Moon AND Sun, APOD 11/22/2003, totality from Chisamba, Zambia