Home   Sun, Moon & Space   Eclipses   October 1, 1940 Total Solar Eclipse

October 1, 1940 Total Solar Eclipse

This eclipse wasn't visible in Washington DC - Which upcoming eclipses can be seen in your location?

What the Eclipse Looked Like Near the Maximum Point

The animation shows what the eclipse approximately looked like near the maximum point. The curvature of the Moon's path is due to the Earth's rotation.

Live Eclipse Animation will start at:
Live Eclipse Animation has ended.
You are using an outdated browser, to view the animation please update or switch to a modern browser. Alternatively you can view the old animation by clicking here.

Where the Eclipse Was Seen

Try our new interactive eclipse maps. Zoom in and search for accurate eclipse times and visualizations for any location.


Path of the Eclipse Shadow

Regions that saw, at least, a partial eclipse: Much of Africa, South/East North America, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica.

Expand for a list of selected cities where at least part of the total eclipse was visible
Expand for a list of selected cities where the partial eclipse was visible

This eclipse wasn't visible in Washington DC - Which upcoming eclipses can be seen in your location?

Eclipse Shadow Path

Portion of Sun covered by the Moon (Eclipse obscuration)

0%

>0%

40%

90%

100%

The dark areas symbolize night and twilight.

When the Eclipse Happened Worldwide — Timeline

The eclipse started at one location and ended at another. The times below are actual times (in UTC) when the eclipse occurred. This calculation uses a Delta T value of 24.7 seconds.

Eclipse Stages WorldwideUTC TimeLocal Time in Washington DC*
First location to see the partial eclipse beginOct 1 at 10:08:13Oct 1 at 5:08:13 am
First location to see the full eclipse beginOct 1 at 11:03:04Oct 1 at 6:03:04 am
Maximum EclipseOct 1 at 12:43:43Oct 1 at 7:43:43 am
Last location to see the full eclipse endOct 1 at 14:24:12Oct 1 at 9:24:12 am
Last location to see the partial eclipse endOct 1 at 15:19:04Oct 1 at 10:19:04 am

* These local times do not refer to a specific location but indicate the beginning, peak, and end of the eclipse on a global scale, each line referring to a different location. This eclipse isn't visible in Washington DC.

Upcoming eclipses visible in Washington DC

Next Total Solar Eclipse will be on Sep 21, 1941

Eclipse calculations usually accurate to a few seconds

Countries Where the Eclipse Is Visible

CountryTypeStartEndTotality Duration
Brazil
Total Solar Eclipse
6:23 am 11:48 am FNT50m, 2s
Colombia
Total Solar Eclipse
5:14 am COT7:11 am PET5m, 17s
South Africa
Total Solar Eclipse
2:46 pm SAST5:18 pm SAST14m, 16s
Venezuela
Total Solar Eclipse
5:38 am VET7:43 am VET4m, 17s
Angola
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:35 pm WAT5:09 pm SAST---
Anguilla
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:13 am AST7:54 am AST---
Antarctica
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:27 pm 2:15 pm ---
Antigua and Barbuda
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:12 am EST6:57 am EST---
Argentina
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:44 am BOT9:44 am ---
Aruba
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:58 am 7:28 am ---
Barbados
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:09 am AST8:04 am AST---
Belize
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:43 am CST5:50 am CST---
Benin
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:42 pm GMT1:18 pm GMT---
Bermuda
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:53 am AST7:13 am AST---
Bolivia
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:21 am BOT8:35 am AMT---
Botswana
Partial Solar Eclipse
2:53 pm SAST5:16 pm SAST---
British Virgin Islands
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:13 am AST7:53 am AST---
Burkina Faso
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:18 pm GMT12:55 pm GMT---
Burundi
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:41 pm CAT4:40 pm CAT---
Cabo Verde
Partial Solar Eclipse
8:55 am CVT10:34 am CVT---
Cameroon
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:08 pm GMT1:49 pm GMT---
Caribbean Netherlands
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:42 am 7:29 am ---
Cayman Islands
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:10 am EST6:47 am EST---
Chile
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:35 am PET8:20 am CLT---
Comoros
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:39 pm EAT6:02 pm EAT---
Congo
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:47 pm WAT3:34 pm WAT---
Congo Democratic Republic
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:47 pm WAT5:06 pm CAT---
Costa Rica
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:19 am EST5:57 am CST---
Cote d'Ivoire
Partial Solar Eclipse
10:55 am 1:34 pm GMT---
Cuba
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:47 am CST6:47 am CST---
Curaçao
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:53 am 7:29 am ---
Dominica
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:11 am AST8:00 am AST---
Dominican Republic
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:23 am EST6:52 am EST---
Ecuador
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:47 am ECT7:05 am ECT---
El Salvador
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:41 am CST5:52 am CST---
Equatorial Guinea
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:29 pm GMT2:12 pm GMT---
Eswatini
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:10 pm SAST5:18 pm SAST---
French Guiana
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:10 am GFT8:26 am GFT---
French Southern Territories
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:20 pm 6:17 pm ---
Gabon
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:45 pm WAT3:27 pm WAT---
Gambia
Partial Solar Eclipse
10:20 am WAT11:45 am WAT---
Ghana
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:03 pm GMT1:55 pm ---
Grenada
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:09 am AST8:04 am AST---
Guadeloupe
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:11 am AST7:59 am AST---
Guatemala
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:44 am CST5:52 am CST---
Guinea
Partial Solar Eclipse
10:21 am WAT12:34 pm ---
Guinea-Bissau
Partial Solar Eclipse
10:16 am WAT11:57 am WAT---
Guyana
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:38 am VET8:21 am AMT---
Haiti
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:37 am EST6:50 am EST---
Honduras
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:23 am CST5:53 am CST---
Jamaica
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:55 am EST6:49 am EST---
Kenya
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:54 pm EAT5:45 pm EAT---
Lesotho
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:04 pm SAST5:17 pm SAST---
Liberia
Partial Solar Eclipse
10:43 am 12:50 pm ---
Madagascar
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:25 pm EAT6:05 pm EAT---
Malawi
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:23 pm CAT5:13 pm CAT---
Mali
Partial Solar Eclipse
10:44 am WAT12:59 pm GMT---
Martinique
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:10 am AST8:01 am AST---
Mauritania
Partial Solar Eclipse
10:33 am WAT11:25 am WAT---
Mauritius
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:35 pm MUT6:08 pm MUT---
Mayotte
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:39 pm EAT5:55 pm EAT---
Mexico
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:39 am CST5:48 am CST---
Montserrat
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:12 am AST7:57 am AST---
Mozambique
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:12 pm SAST5:18 pm CAT---
Namibia
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:35 pm WAT5:13 pm SAST---
Nicaragua
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:21 am CST5:55 am CST---
Nigeria
Partial Solar Eclipse
2:00 pm WAT2:30 pm WAT---
Panama
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:56 am COT6:59 am EST---
Paraguay
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:39 am PYT9:43 am BRT---
Peru
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:23 am PET7:17 am PET---
Puerto Rico
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:13 am AST7:53 am AST---
Reunion
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:34 pm RET6:17 pm RET---
Rwanda
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:48 pm CAT4:31 pm CAT---
Saint Helena
Partial Solar Eclipse
10:50 am 2:13 pm ---
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:12 am AST7:56 am AST---
Saint Lucia
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:10 am AST8:02 am AST---
Saint Martin
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:43 am 7:24 am ---
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:09 am AST8:03 am AST---
Sao Tome and Principe
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:38 pm GMT2:05 pm GMT---
Senegal
Partial Solar Eclipse
10:18 am WAT11:49 am WAT---
Seychelles
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:45 pm SCT6:50 pm SCT---
Sierra Leone
Partial Solar Eclipse
10:22 am WAT12:35 pm ---
Sint Maarten
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:43 am 7:24 am ---
South Georgia/Sandwich Is.
Partial Solar Eclipse
10:58 am GST11:12 am GST---
St. Barts
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:13 am AST7:55 am AST---
Suriname
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:28 am 8:24 am GFT---
Tanzania
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:31 pm CAT6:05 pm EAT---
The Bahamas
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:42 am EST6:46 am EST---
Togo
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:56 pm 1:41 pm ---
Trinidad and Tobago
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:08 am AST8:07 am AST---
Turks and Caicos Islands
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:35 am EST6:46 am EST---
US Minor Outlying Islands
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:50 am 6:49 am CST---
US Virgin Islands
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:12 am AST7:54 am AST---
Uganda
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:03 pm CAT4:16 pm CAT---
United States
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:10 am EST6:40 am EST---
Uruguay
Partial Solar Eclipse
8:09 am BRT9:15 am UYT---
Zambia
Partial Solar Eclipse
2:01 pm WAT5:11 pm CAT---
Zimbabwe
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:07 pm CAT5:16 pm SAST---

All times shown in this table are local time. (Note: more than one time zone is listed.) "Totality duration" gives the time between the start and finish of totality within the entire country (not at one location).

How Many People Can See This Eclipse?

Number of People Seeing...Number of People*Fraction of World Population
Any part of the eclipse158,000,0009.32%
At least 10% partial115,000,0006.75%
At least 20% partial101,000,0005.98%
At least 30% partial91,900,0005.39%
At least 40% partial70,100,0004.11%
At least 50% partial54,900,0003.22%
At least 60% partial46,900,0002.75%
At least 70% partial39,200,0002.30%
At least 80% partial28,500,0001.68%
At least 90% partial20,200,0001.19%
Totality or annularity5,000,0000.29%

* The number of people refers to the resident population (as a round number) in areas where the eclipse is visible. timeanddate has calculated these numbers using raw population data provided by the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University. The raw data is based on population estimates from the year 2000 to 2020.

An Eclipse Never Comes Alone!

A solar eclipse always occurs about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse.

Usually, there are two eclipses in a row, but other times, there are three during the same eclipse season.

All eclipses 1900 — 2199

This is the first eclipse this season.

Second eclipse this season: October 16, 1940 — Penumbral Lunar Eclipse