Solar eclipse of December 26, 2038

{{Infobox solar eclipse|2038Dec26

| previous = Solar eclipse of July 2, 2038

| next = Solar eclipse of June 21, 2039

}}

A total solar eclipse will occur at the Moon's descending node of orbit between Saturday, December 25 and Sunday, December 26, 2038,{{cite web|title=December 25–26, 2038 Total Solar Eclipse|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2038-december-26|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=14 August 2024}} with a magnitude of 1.0268. 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 1.7 days after perigee (on December 24, 2038, at 8:25 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter will be larger.{{cite web|title=Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/distance.html?year=2038&n=136|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=14 August 2024}}

Totality will be visible from parts of Australia and New Zealand. A partial eclipse will be visible for parts of Southeast Asia, Australia, Antarctica, and Oceania.

In some parts of the world it will fall on Christmas Day, the first such eclipse since 2000, and the last until 2057.{{cite book |date=2002 |first=Jan |last=Meeus |title=More Mathematical Astronomy Morsels |isbn=0943396743 |url=https://falakmu.id/khgt/dokumen/More%20mathematical%20astronomy%20morsels%20(Jean%20Meeus)%20(Z-Library).pdf}}{{rp|137}}

File:SE2038Dec26T.gif

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.{{cite web|title=Total Solar Eclipse of 2038 Dec 26|url=https://eclipsewise.com/solar/SEprime/2001-2100/SE2038Dec26Tprime.html|publisher=EclipseWise.com|access-date=14 August 2024}}

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|+December 26, 2038 Solar Eclipse Times

! Event

! Time (UTC)

First Penumbral External Contact

| 2038 December 25 at 22:20:51.4 UTC

First Umbral External Contact

| 2038 December 25 at 23:19:15.0 UTC

First Central Line

| 2038 December 25 at 23:19:33.4 UTC

First Umbral Internal Contact

| 2038 December 25 at 23:19:51.9 UTC

First Penumbral Internal Contact

| 2038 December 26 at 00:23:04.9 UTC

Greatest Duration

| 2038 December 26 at 00:59:26.3 UTC

Greatest Eclipse

| 2038 December 26 at 01:00:09.7 UTC

Equatorial Conjunction

| 2038 December 26 at 01:02:10.7 UTC

Ecliptic Conjunction

| 2038 December 26 at 01:03:10.7 UTC

Last Penumbral Internal Contact

| 2038 December 26 at 01:37:10.7 UTC

Last Umbral Internal Contact

| 2038 December 26 at 02:40:28.5 UTC

Last Central Line

| 2038 December 26 at 02:40:45.0 UTC

Last Umbral External Contact

| 2038 December 26 at 02:41:01.5 UTC

Last Penumbral External Contact

| 2038 December 26 at 03:39:31.2 UTC

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|+December 26, 2038 Solar Eclipse Parameters

! Parameter

! Value

Eclipse Magnitude

| 1.02685

Eclipse Obscuration

| 1.05443

Gamma

| −0.28813

Sun Right Ascension

| 18h18m51.7s

Sun Declination

| -23°21'47.8"

Sun Semi-Diameter

| 16'15.7"

Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

| 08.9"

Moon Right Ascension

| 18h18m46.7s

Moon Declination

| -23°39'05.4"

Moon Semi-Diameter

| 16'25.8"

Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

| 1°00'18.1"

ΔT

| 78.0 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.

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|+ Eclipse season of December 2038

! December 11
Ascending node (full moon)
!! December 26
Descending node (new moon)

200px

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| Penumbral lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 116

Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 142