Home   Sun, Moon & Space   Eclipses   March 29, 1987 Total Solar Eclipse

March 29, 1987 Total Solar Eclipse

This eclipse wasn't visible in Columbus - 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.

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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: South in Europe, West in Asia, Africa, Much of South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica.

Expand for a list of selected cities where the annular eclipse was visible
Expand for a list of selected cities where the partial eclipse was visible

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

Eclipse Shadow Path

Portion of Sun covered by the Moon (Eclipse obscuration)

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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 55.5 seconds.

Eclipse Stages WorldwideUTC TimeLocal Time in Columbus*
First location to see the partial eclipse beginMar 29 at 10:02:37Mar 29 at 5:02:37 am
First location to see the full eclipse beginMar 29 at 11:04:21Mar 29 at 6:04:21 am
Maximum EclipseMar 29 at 12:48:59Mar 29 at 7:48:59 am
Last location to see the full eclipse endMar 29 at 14:33:37Mar 29 at 9:33:37 am
Last location to see the partial eclipse endMar 29 at 15:35:23Mar 29 at 10:35:23 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 Columbus.

Upcoming eclipses visible in Columbus

Next Total Solar Eclipse will be on Mar 17 – Mar 18, 1988

Eclipse calculations usually accurate to a few seconds

Countries Where the Eclipse Is Visible

CountryTypeStart of EclipseEnd of Eclipse
Argentina
Annular Solar Eclipse
7:02 am ART9:13 am ART
Cameroon
Annular Solar Eclipse
1:10 pm WAT4:23 pm WAT
Central African Republic
Annular Solar Eclipse
1:24 pm WAT4:28 pm WAT
Chile
Annular Solar Eclipse
7:34 am CLST9:12 am CLST
Djibouti
Annular Solar Eclipse
4:19 pm EAT6:24 pm EAT
Equatorial Guinea
Annular Solar Eclipse
12:54 pm WAT4:09 pm WAT
Ethiopia
Annular Solar Eclipse
4:04 pm EAT6:35 pm EAT
Gabon
Annular Solar Eclipse
1:00 pm WAT4:11 pm WAT
Somalia
Annular Solar Eclipse
4:08 pm EAT6:25 pm EAT
South Sudan
Annular Solar Eclipse
1:50 pm WAT5:33 pm CAT
Sudan
Annular Solar Eclipse
1:50 pm WAT5:35 pm CAT
Afghanistan
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:48 pm PKT5:44 pm IRST
Albania
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:11 pm CEST4:45 pm CEST
Algeria
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:48 pm CET4:18 pm CET
Angola
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:39 pm WAT4:00 pm WAT
Antarctica
Partial Solar Eclipse
7:21 am CLST9:20 am
Armenia
Partial Solar Eclipse
7:03 pm 8:07 pm
Azerbaijan
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:32 pm IRST6:37 pm IRST
Bahrain
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:40 pm AST5:53 pm AST
Benin
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:07 pm GMT4:08 pm WAT
Bolivia
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:21 am BOT7:54 am BOT
Botswana
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:57 pm SAST4:34 pm SAST
Brazil
Partial Solar Eclipse
7:04 am BRT11:05 am FNT
Bulgaria
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:19 pm EEST5:42 pm EEST
Burkina Faso
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:12 pm GMT4:05 pm WAT
Burundi
Partial Solar Eclipse
2:44 pm CAT5:15 pm CAT
Chad
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:33 pm WAT4:31 pm WAT
Comoros
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:06 pm EAT5:59 pm EAT
Congo
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:00 pm WAT4:17 pm WAT
Congo Democratic Republic
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:59 pm WAT5:25 pm CAT
Cote d'Ivoire
Partial Solar Eclipse
11:52 am GMT2:54 pm GMT
Cyprus
Partial Solar Eclipse
2:48 pm BST4:17 pm BST
Egypt
Partial Solar Eclipse
2:16 pm CET5:34 pm CAT
Eritrea
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:17 pm EAT6:35 pm EAT
Eswatini
Partial Solar Eclipse
2:33 pm SAST4:10 pm SAST
Falkland Islands
Partial Solar Eclipse
7:08 am FKST9:15 am FKST
French Southern Territories
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:58 pm 7:56 pm TFT
Gambia
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:27 pm GMT2:20 pm GMT
Georgia
Partial Solar Eclipse
7:11 pm 7:58 pm
Ghana
Partial Solar Eclipse
11:59 am GMT3:01 pm GMT
Greece
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:46 pm EEST6:13 pm EEST
Guinea
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:01 pm GMT2:41 pm GMT
Guinea-Bissau
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:18 pm GMT2:21 pm GMT
Iran
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:12 pm IRST7:16 pm ADT
Iraq
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:42 pm AST6:26 pm AST
Israel
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:38 pm EET5:27 pm EET
Italy
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:51 pm CEST4:53 pm CEST
Jordan
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:38 pm EET6:28 pm AST
Kazakhstan
Partial Solar Eclipse
8:14 pm 8:51 pm
Kenya
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:56 pm EAT5:27 pm CAT
Kuwait
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:43 pm AST7:09 pm ADT
Lebanon
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:45 pm IST5:21 pm IST
Lesotho
Partial Solar Eclipse
2:19 pm SAST3:59 pm SAST
Liberia
Partial Solar Eclipse
11:52 am GMT2:40 pm GMT
Libya
Partial Solar Eclipse
2:07 pm WAT5:31 pm CAT
Madagascar
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:05 pm EAT5:53 pm EAT
Malawi
Partial Solar Eclipse
2:44 pm CAT6:01 pm EAT
Mali
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:12 pm GMT3:10 pm GMT
Malta
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:51 pm CEST4:56 pm CEST
Mauritania
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:32 pm GMT2:48 pm GMT
Mauritius
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:21 pm MUT6:19 pm MUT
Mayotte
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:09 pm EAT5:56 pm EAT
Morocco
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:24 pm WET2:19 pm WET
Mozambique
Partial Solar Eclipse
2:35 pm SAST6:01 pm EAT
Namibia
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:38 pm SAST4:35 pm CAT
Niger
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:25 pm WAT4:25 pm WAT
Nigeria
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:09 pm WAT4:22 pm WAT
North Macedonia
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:24 pm EEST5:34 pm EEST
Oman
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:32 pm AST6:45 pm GST
Pakistan
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:42 pm PKT6:41 pm AFT
Palestine
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:41 pm EET5:24 pm EET
Paraguay
Partial Solar Eclipse
7:11 am ART9:08 am PYST
Peru
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:41 am BOT7:33 am
Qatar
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:39 pm AST5:51 pm AST
Reunion
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:21 pm RET6:21 pm RET
Russia
Partial Solar Eclipse
7:12 pm 7:57 pm
Rwanda
Partial Solar Eclipse
2:44 pm CAT5:17 pm CAT
Saint Helena
Partial Solar Eclipse
10:30 am GMT2:07 pm GMT
Sao Tome and Principe
Partial Solar Eclipse
11:59 am GMT3:03 pm GMT
Saudi Arabia
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:25 pm AST6:34 pm AST
Senegal
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:22 pm GMT2:30 pm GMT
Seychelles
Partial Solar Eclipse
5:11 pm SCT7:01 pm SCT
Sierra Leone
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:00 noon GMT2:33 pm GMT
South Africa
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:43 pm SAST4:22 pm SAST
South Georgia/Sandwich Is.
Partial Solar Eclipse
8:16 am GST10:30 am GST
Syria
Partial Solar Eclipse
3:44 pm EET6:23 pm EEST
Tanzania
Partial Solar Eclipse
2:42 pm CAT6:18 pm EAT
Togo
Partial Solar Eclipse
12:06 pm GMT3:02 pm GMT
Tunisia
Partial Solar Eclipse
2:29 pm CET4:05 pm CET
Turkey
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:52 pm EEST6:15 pm EEST
Turkmenistan
Partial Solar Eclipse
6:27 pm AFT8:51 pm
Uganda
Partial Solar Eclipse
2:47 pm CAT5:26 pm CAT
United Arab Emirates
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:38 pm AST6:48 pm GST
Uruguay
Partial Solar Eclipse
7:03 am UYT9:15 am BRT
Uzbekistan
Partial Solar Eclipse
8:14 pm 8:37 pm
Western Sahara
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:11 pm GMT2:14 pm WET
Yemen
Partial Solar Eclipse
4:22 pm AST6:21 pm AST
Zambia
Partial Solar Eclipse
1:11 pm WAT5:03 pm CAT
Zimbabwe
Partial Solar Eclipse
2:19 pm CAT4:43 pm CAT

All times shown in this table are local time. (Note: more than one time zone is listed.)

How Many People Can See This Eclipse?

Number of People Seeing...Number of People*Fraction of World Population
Any part of the eclipse832,000,00016.52%
At least 10% partial671,000,00013.32%
At least 20% partial573,000,00011.38%
At least 30% partial454,000,0009.02%
At least 40% partial383,000,0007.60%
At least 50% partial327,000,0006.50%
At least 60% partial249,000,0004.94%
At least 70% partial159,000,0003.16%
At least 80% partial96,400,0001.91%
At least 90% partial38,600,0000.77%
Totality or annularity2,150,0000.04%

* 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: April 14, 1987 — Penumbral Lunar Eclipse