Astronomy Essentials

Partial solar eclipse of April 30, 2022

Posted by
Fred Espenak
and
Editors of EarthSky
and
April 29, 2022
Animation showing moon's shadow sweeping across the southernmost part of Earth globe.
April 30, 2022 partial solar eclipse, as seen from the moon’s vantage point. The moon’s large penumbral shadow is lightly shaded and is outlined with a solid black edge. The April 30 partial eclipse is visible from within this penumbra. Animation by Fred Espenak and Michael Zeiler.

Partial solar eclipse

The partial solar eclipse of April 30, 2022, is visible from the southeast Pacific and southern South America.

When and where to watch: The April 30, 2022, partial solar eclipse starts in the far southeastern Pacific near the coast of Antarctica at 18:45 UTC. The deepest part of the eclipse is almost due south of the southern tip of South America at 20:41 UTC. The partial eclipse remains visible for the last location along its narrow path until 22:37 UTC.
Maximum eclipse: is at 20:41 UTC when 63.96 percent of the sun will be hidden behind the moon.
Note: This is a very deep partial eclipse, which will pass over a sparsely populated region of Earth.

The number one rule for solar eclipse observing is to make sure you protect your eyes by using an appropriate filter. Purchase eclipse glasses from the EarthSky Store.

Moon, constellation, Saros

This partial solar eclipse occurs 4.7 days before the moon reaches apogee, its farthest point from Earth.

During the eclipse, the sun is in front of the constellation Aries.

The eclipse belongs to Saros 119 in the Saros catalog of eclipses that describes their periodicity. It is number 66 of 71 eclipses in the series. All eclipses in this series occur at the moon’s ascending node. The moon moves southward with respect to the node with each succeeding eclipse in the series.

Cities where the partial solar eclipse is visible

Table with numerous Antarctican and South American communities listed.
Cities in the path of the partial solar eclipse of April 30, 2022, via timeanddate.com.

Next eclipse and eclipse seasons

The partial solar eclipse of April 30, 2022, is followed two weeks later by a total lunar eclipse on May 16, 2022.

These eclipses all take place during a single eclipse season.

An eclipse season is an approximate 35-day period during which it’s inevitable for at least 2 (and possibly 3) eclipses to take place. The current eclipse season has two eclipses: April 30 and May 15, 2022.

Earth globe with lines on it marking path of partial solar eclipse visibility.
A map of the partial solar eclipse of April 30, 2022. The path sweeps across the southeast Pacific and southern South America. You must protect your eyes to watch even the partial phases of any solar eclipse. Key to Solar Eclipse Maps here. Image via Fred Espenak.

Maps and data for April 30 partial solar eclipse

Orthographic map: partial solar eclipse of April 30, 2022. Detailed map of eclipse visibility.
Google map (scroll down): partial solar eclipse of April 30, 2022. Interactive map of the eclipse path.
Circumstances table: partial solar eclipse of April 30, 2022. Eclipse times for hundreds of cities.
Saros 119 table: data for all eclipses in the Saros series.
Additional tables and data for this event.

Here’s what a partial solar eclipse looks like

Bright crescent in orange clouds plus big bird in front of dark area of eclipse.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Our friend James Trezza in Cedar Beach, Mount Sinai, New York, captured this photo of the partial solar eclipse of June 10, 2021. He wrote: “Solar eclipse 2021! Nothing like perfect timing with a bird flying through the frame during the eclipse.” Thanks, James! The April 30 eclipse will be a partial, but deep, eclipse, similar to the eclipse shown in this photo. But the April 30 eclipse path will not be widely seen, as it falls on a sparsely populated region of Earth.

More resources

Brightly colored covers of three large-format books.
Thank you, Fred Espenak, for granting permission to reprint this article. For the best in eclipse info – from a world’s expert – visit Fred’s publications page.

Bottom line: A deep partial solar eclipse will occur on Saturday, April 30, 2022. The path sweeps across the southeast Pacific and southern South America.

How to safely observe a partial solar eclipse

Planet-observing is easy: Top tips here

See photos of the December 2021 solar eclipse

Want events to observe? Visit EarthSky’s night sky guide

Posted 
April 29, 2022
 in 
Astronomy Essentials

Fred Espenak

View Articles
About the Author:
Fred Espenak is a scientist emeritus at Goddard Space Flight Center. For decades, he has been NASA's expert on eclipses, and some of you may know him as Mr. Eclipse. Fred maintains NASA's official eclipse web site (eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov) as well as his personal web site on eclipse photography (mreclipse.com). Now retired and living in rural Arizona, Fred spends most clear nights losing sleep and photographing the stars (astropixels.com). His latest website is devoted to helping you enjoy eclipses (www.eclipsewise.com). He is an EarthSky content partner.

Editors of EarthSky

View Articles
About the Author:
The EarthSky team has a blast bringing you daily updates on your cosmos and world. We love your photos and welcome your news tips. Earth, Space, Sun, Human, Tonight. Since 1994.

Like what you read?
Subscribe and receive daily news delivered to your inbox.

Your email address will only be used for EarthSky content. Privacy Policy
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

More from 

Fred Espenak

View All
Total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024. Experience it here!
April 9, 2024
Some will see a partial lunar eclipse tonight
October 28, 2023
A deep penumbral lunar eclipse overnight tonight
May 5, 2023
Hybrid solar eclipse: An annular-total on April 19-20
April 19, 2023