May 20 - May 21, 2012 Annular Solar Eclipse
The first solar eclipse in 2012 will be an annular solar eclipse on May 20–21. This is the first annular eclipse visible from the United States in 18 years
Check local times for this eclipse all over the world
Protect your eyes while watching the eclipse!
The eclipse will also be seen from eastern Asia and the northern Pacific. It starts in Asia and ends in the US.
What the eclipse would look like near the max point
The animation shows approximately what the eclipse looks like in near the maximum point of the eclipse (weather permitting).
Animated map of where you can see the eclipse
Click the 'play' button to view the animation. The pause button can also be used to temporarily suspend the animation.
The animation shows where this annular solar eclipse is visible (white, gray and red shading) as well as day and night (dark “wave” slowly moving across the Earth's surface).
The colors within the shaded area show how much of the Sun's disk the Moon covers during the eclipse. The dark center of the red area shows the best locations to view this eclipse. Here, the Moon moves centrally in front of the Sun without covering it entirely, leaving a bright “ring of fire” that is characteristic of an annular solar eclipse.
In the red area, the Sun is obscured 90 percent or more, in the dark gray area the Moon covers between 25 and 90 percent of the Sun's disk. The white shaded area symbolizes locations where less than 25 percent are covered.
Time table worldwide
The eclipse starts in one location and ends in another, the times below are for visibility for any location on earth.| Event | UTC Time | Time in Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| First location to see partial eclipse begins | May 20 at 8:56 PM | May 20 at 1:56 PM |
| First location to see full Eclipse begins | May 20 at 10:06 PM | May 20 at 3:06 PM |
| Maximum Eclipse | May 20 at 11:54 PM | May 20 at 4:54 PM |
| Last location to see full Eclipse ends | May 21 at 1:39 AM | May 20 at 6:39 PM |
| Last location to see partial Eclipse ends | May 21 at 2:49 AM | May 20 at 7:49 PM |
Map over where the eclipse is visible
Regions that can see at least parts of the eclipse
- Parts of Europe
- Parts of Asia
- Much of North America
- Pacific
- Atlantic
- Arctic
Can I see the eclipse?
Asian cities that will see the eclipse include:
American/Canadian cities that will see the eclipse include:
*The annular eclipse will only be partially seen in some places.
Other eclipses in 2012
The annular solar eclipse is one of 4 eclipses in 2012. Other eclipses for the year are:
- A partial lunar eclipse on June 4, 2012
- A total solar eclipse on November 13-14, 2012
- A penumbral lunar eclipse on November 28, 2012.
Astronomy calculators
- Find Moonrise and Moonset for a Location
- Moon Phase Calculator – Find Moon Phases for any year
- Find Sunrise and Sunset for a Location
- Day and Night World Map – See which parts of the Earth are currently illuminated by the Sun
More information
Calendar tools
- Calendar for 2012
- Calendar Generator – Create a calendar for any year
- Duration Between Two Dates – Calculates number of days
Related time zone tools
- The World Clock – current times around the world
- Time Zone Converter – If it is 3 pm in New York, what time is it in Sydney?
- Event Time Announcer/Fixed Time – Show local times worldwide for your event.