Total eclipse — across Europe (1999)
On 11 August 1999 the shadow of the 20th century's last total eclipse ran from Cornwall across Europe to the Bay of Bengal. Because it crossed crowded regions, it is counted among the most-watched total eclipses in history.
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The story
On 11 August 1999 the Moon completely covered the Sun in a total solar eclipse. The Moon's shadow began over the Atlantic Ocean, south of Nova Scotia in Canada, and reached land in Cornwall, England. From there it crossed northern France, southern Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania and Turkey, then Iran, Pakistan and India, and it ended over the Bay of Bengal. It was the last total solar eclipse of the twentieth century.
What made this eclipse special was the route of the shadow. Total eclipses often pass over oceans or deserts. This one, however, passed close to large cities such as the area north of Paris, Stuttgart, Munich and Bucharest. Because of that, a huge number of people could see the black Sun without travelling far from home, and it became one of the most-watched total eclipses in history.
The weather did not help everyone, though. In western Europe, including Cornwall and northern France, clouds spoiled the view in many places. Further east, clear skies became more common. The longest darkness came near Ocnele Mari in Romania, where the Sun stayed hidden for 2 minutes 23 seconds and the middle of the day turned as dark as late evening.
During totality the corona appears. The corona is the Sun's very hot, thin outer atmosphere, which is normally lost in the glare of ordinary sunlight. With the Moon blocking the bright disk, it spreads around the black Moon like white rays. In Munich this view lasted about 2 minutes 9 seconds, around 12:38 local time. The event replay in the sky view reproduces the black Sun in the Munich sky on that day.
Viewing guide — where, when, how
Choose the 1999 eclipse in the sky view's event list and the sky over Munich around 12:38 on 11 August is reproduced: the Sun high in the southern sky, completely covered by the Moon. Move the location to Romania to see the arrangement where the darkness lasted longest.
This eclipse belongs to an eclipse family called Saros 145. A saros is a cycle of about 18 years and 11 days after which the Sun, the Moon and Earth return to nearly the same arrangement. The next eclipse in this family was the total eclipse that crossed the United States on 21 August 2017, and the one after that is the total eclipse of 2 September 2035 over northern China, North Korea and Japan. Jump to those eclipses in the sky view to compare how high the Sun stands.
In the orbit view's event replay, the Moon slides exactly between the Sun and Earth on 11 August 1999. Slow the playback to see the Moon's shadow sweep from west to east across the curved surface of Earth. The weather along the 2035 path cannot be known in advance, and at the end of summer there is a real chance of cloud.
See this for yourself — open that sky at that moment · replay the moment in the orbit view
Why this eclipse is special
The 1999 eclipse showed how many people a single event in the sky can draw at once. Earlier total eclipses mostly belonged to expeditions and keen observers who travelled to distant places. This time the shadow crossed densely populated land, so people in many European countries looked up at almost the same moment.
It was also an occasion to teach people how to look at the Sun safely. Staring straight at the Sun with the naked eye can seriously damage the eyes, so many countries advised people to use special eclipse filters. Only during the brief moment of totality, when the Moon covers the Sun completely, can the corona be viewed without a filter, and the filter must go back on as soon as any part of the bright Sun returns.
There was a view from above, too. From the Russian space station Mir, crew members watched the Moon's shadow move across Earth, and the video was broadcast live on television. A dark patch a little over 110 km wide gliding across cloudy Europe made it clear at a glance that an eclipse happens when the Sun, the Moon and Earth line up.
Background and earlier eclipses
The 1999 eclipse was the 21st member of the Saros 145 family. The member just before it crossed Siberia on 31 July 1981. Eclipses in one family repeat about every 18 years, but each time Earth has turned an extra third of a rotation, so the shadow's path shifts roughly a third of the way around the globe to the west.
The track of the shadow on the ground was 112 km wide at its widest. Only inside that narrow band is the Sun fully covered; outside it, people see a partial eclipse, with just part of the Sun hidden. That is why so many people travelled into the band to see totality.
The eclipse was also commemorated. Romania issued a special 2,000-lei banknote showing the eclipse path across a map of the country, printed on plastic (polymer) rather than paper. At the same time, rumours linking the year 1999 and the eclipse to the end of the world spread in some places, even though an eclipse is simply a natural event that can be calculated precisely in advance from the Moon's motion.
FAQ
How long did totality last?
The longest was 2 minutes 23 seconds near Ocnele Mari in Romania. In Munich it lasted about 2 minutes 9 seconds.
Where was the view best?
Cornwall and northern France in western Europe were largely cloudy; clear skies became more common further east.
Why did so many people see it?
The shadow crossed densely populated parts of Europe, the Middle East and South Asia.
When is the next eclipse in the same family?
The next was the US eclipse of 21 August 2017, and after that the total eclipse of 2 September 2035 over northern China, North Korea and Japan.
Related
- The Great American Eclipse (2017)
- Total solar eclipse of September 2035
- Total solar eclipse of August 2026
- The Sun — object index
- The Moon — object index
Times and figures are approximate — verify with official sources when planning travel. Simulation uses J2000 mean elements.