This total solar eclipse begins in Arnhem Land of northern Australia, crosses the Gulf of Carpentaria, passes over northern Queensland, and then sweeps over the span of the Pacific Ocean. Once totality exits the Great Barrier Reef in the vicinity of Cairns, no further landfall is made. Norfolk Island is close to, but just south of the path of totality. New Zealand will experience a deep partial eclipse.

Total solar eclipse of November 13-14, 2012

Stylish eclipse t-shirts and maps here

NASA 2012 eclipse page

2012 eclipse weather

Interactive google eclipse map

2012 maps and resources

High dynamic range photos

Cairns eclipse information

Got iPad? Then check out my eclipse atlas in the iBooks format for iPads. You can download a free sample or purchase the iBook at https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/total-solar-eclipse-november/id568448997?mt=11&ls=1

Click below to see some of my favorite eclipse web sites

The maps on this web page apply eclipse calculations by Xavier Jubier and Bill Kramer with eclipse timing corrections for the precise profile of the moon. The lunar profile was derived from laser altimeter data from the Japanese Kaguya lunar orbiter by Dave Herald. The eclipse lines were calculated by Xavier Jubier and the Besselian elements used for eclipse calculations are by Jean Meeus and Fred Espenak. The careful map reader will note that the isodurations (lines of equal eclipse duration) on the maps are not symmetric around the central line of eclipse or perfectly smooth; this is due to the corrections for the actual lunar profile.

Nearly all observers of the total solar eclipse will be west of the International Date Line where it will be November 14.

Click on map and t-shirt images to see enlargement

These are two of the six animated maps on my eclipse atlas iBook. Click to view.

These are a selection from the 55 maps in the eclipse atlas iBook. Click on any map to see an enlarged view.

How much of the Sun’s diameter is eclipsed

When the penumbral (partial) eclipse begins

Time of local greatest eclipse

When the penumbral (partial) eclipse ends

How high the Sun is at local greatest eclipse

Dimming of sunshine (obscuration)

Begin of eclipse in Cairns

End of eclipse in Cairns

Duration of eclipse in Cairns

Past and future eclipses in Saros Eclipse Cycle 133

Australia will enjoy an above-average number of eclipses in the coming decades.

Duration of eclipse in Arnhem Land, northern Australia

Beginning of eclipse in Arnhem Land. Corrections for refraction adds 83 km to west of path

The next solar eclipse passes over Africa on November 3, 2013

145 E to 148 E longitude

148 E to 151 E longitude

151 E to 154 E longitude

154 E to 157 E longitude

157 E to 160 E longitude

160 E to 163 E longitude

163 E to 166 E longitude

166 E to 169 E longitude

169 E to 172 E longitude

172 E to 175 E longitude

Eclipse maps for use on cruise ships


I made these 10 maps for my iBook, “Total Solar Eclipse of November 14, 2012” but decided to use another set of similar maps at smaller scale. If you are observing the eclipse from a cruise ship, you can identify your location by interpolating along the latitude-longitude grid to determine your eclipse duration and judge how well your captain positioned you for the eclipse.

175 E to 178 E longitude

177 E to 180 E longitude

Southern limit, Innisfall

Southern limit, Malanda

Southern limit, Atherton

Southern limit, Piermonte

Southern limit maps


Some eclipse observers will travel to the southern reaches of the area of totality. Their reward will be an extended presentation of the “diamond rings” (the moments when totality begins and ends), a better view of the Sun’s chromosphere (the inner corona containing vivid red prominences and other features), and a dramatic display of Baily’s Beads (the last sparkly bits of the Sun in silhouette). Their sacrifice is a diminished duration of totality, but they judge this to be a fair trade. These maps are for the areas along the southern limit of totality near Cairns that are accessible with cars. If you select a site in these maps, study the predicted appearance and circumstances with Xavier Jubier’s interactive google map at http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/xSE_GoogleMapFull.php?Ecl=+20121113