Daily Archives: 9-August-2017

Calculate Eclipse Path Width

Yesterday, a reader asked me how to compute the totality path width for the eclipse that will cross the US on 21 Aug 2017. I wrote a post on how to perform this calculation years ago. NASA has published a path width value of 114.7 km. This width will actually vary a bit as the shadow moves across the Earth because the distance change slightly between all the bodies involved. Also, the Earth and Moon are not perfectly round, which I assume. NASA has very detailed models that even include the variations due to mountains and valleys on the Moon. Continue reading

Posted in Astronomy | 6 Comments