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www.eclipse-chasers.com Eclipses in the Solar System Author: Bill Kramer Last update: April 24 2018 |
Eclipse Chaser
(noun) - Anyone that wants to see a total solar eclipse. 
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| Planets in Study | Distance to Sun (KM) Angular Size of Sun (Degrees) |
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| Planet name | Radius (KM) | Moons | Perihelion | Average | Aphelion |
| Earth | 6371 | 1 | 147,100,000 0.54195 | 149,600,000 0.53289 | 152,100,000 0.52413 |
| Mars | 3390 | 2 | 206,600,000 0.38587 | 227,900,000 0.34981 | 249,200,000 0.31991 |
| Jupiter | 69911 | 50 | 740,500,000 0.10766 | 778,600,000 0.10239 | 816,600,000 0.09763 |
| Saturn | 58232 | 53 | 1,352,600,000 0.05894 | 1,433,500,000 0.05561 | 1,514,500,000 0.05264 |
| Uranus | 25362 | 27 | 2,741,300,000 0.02908 | 2,872,500,000 0.02775 | 3,003,600,000 0.02654 |
| Neptune | 24622 | 8 | 4,444,500,000 0.01794 | 4,495,100,000 0.01774 | 4,545,700,000 0.01754 |
| Planet | Moon | Size (radius KM) | Distance (KM) Periapsis/Apoapsis |
Angular Size (moon) Periapsis/Apoapsis |
Angular Size (Sun) Aphelion/Perihelion |
Ratio Sun/moon |
| Earth | Moon | 1,737.1 | 356,924 405,503 | 2,007.7 1,767.2 | 1,886.9 1,951.0 | 0.940 1.104 |
| Jupiter | Callisto | 2,408.4 | 1,799,610 1,895,879 | 552.1 524.1 | 351.5 387.6 | 0.637 0.740 |
| Saturn | Janus | 90.4 | 92,180 152,532 | 404.6 244.5 | 189.5 212.2 | 0.468 0.868 |
| Saturn | Epimetheus | 58.3 | 91,827 152,785 | 261.9 157.4 | 189.5 212.2 | 0.724 1.348 |
| Saturn | Pandora | 40.6 | 82,873 142,295 | 202.1 117.7 | 189.5 212.2 | 0.938 1.803 |
| Uranus | Cordelia | 20.1 | 24,423 49,815 | 339.5 166.5 | 95.6 104.7 | 0.281 0.629 |
| Uranus | Ophelia | 21.4 | 27,905 54,333 | 316.4 162.5 | 95.6 104.7 | 0.302 0.644 |
| Uranus | Bianca | 25.7 | 33,785 59,253 | 313.8 178.9 | 95.6 104.7 | 0.304 0.585 |
Summary data
Found Earth-like eclipse conditions for: Earth/Moon, Saturn/Epimetheus, Saturn/Pandora
Moons investigated: 141
Maximum Solar/Moon ratio: 28,954.3
Minimum Solar/Moon ratio: 0.037332
Total eclipses: 31 - where the Sun is completely covered at both apoapsis and periapsis.
Annular eclipses: 107 - where Sun is visible around occulting moon at both apoapsis and periapsis.
Extreme totals (moon over 2x size of Sun): 30
Extreme annulars (Sun over 2x size of moon): 104
Number of very interesting eclipses, where moon appears less than twice the size of the Sun allowing a view of the corona, is 8 with 3 making a near perfect fit (one to one) - annular at apoapsis, total at periapsis.
Of the moons in the solar system, 22.0% were total only, 75.9% were annular only and 5.7% are ideal.
Click here for the related Study - Do other planets see solar eclipses?
Comparing the angular sizes
Using data from the NASA Planetary Fact Sheets about the moons, the table shows the angular size of the moon at the extremes of the orbit. The angular sizes are compared to the angular size of the Sun. The comparison is accomplished in terms of a ratio. Angular sizes of the moon are divided into the angular size of the Sun. If the ratio is greater than 1.0 then an annular eclipse event can take place. For ratios less than one, a total eclipse event can take place.
The program searched for where the ratios bridge the value of one. That is if any value is greater than one and another is less than one. Under those conditions, both total and annular eclipse are possible and this is considered to be the most Earth-like.
Columns in table
Planet is the name of the planet.
Moon is the name of the moon in orbit about the planet.
Size (radius KM) is the size of the moon's radius in kilometers.
Distance (KM) Periapsis/Apoapsis is the distance, in kilometers, from the surface (or cloud tops) of the planet to the moon. There are two values. The top value is the distance from the surface of the planet facing towards the Sun when the moon is closest or at periapsis. The second value is the distance from the surface of the planet at the pole to the moon when the moon is farthest or apoapsis.
Angular Size (moon) is the apparent size in seconds of arc. There are two values. The top is when the moon is closest or periapsis. The bottom value is when the moon is furthest or apoapsis.
Angular Size (Sun) Aphelion/Perihelion is the apparent size of the Sun as seen from the planet measured in seconds of arc. The top value is when the Sun is furthest or aphelion. The bottom value is when the Sun is furthest or perihelion.
Ratio Sun/moon is the value of the the angular size of the Sun divided by the angular size of the moon. A value greater than one indicates the conditions for an annular eclipse. A value less than one indicates the conditions for a total solar eclipse. The top value is the ratio when the moon is closest (biggest) to the surface of the planet and Sun furthest away (smallest). The bottom value is the ratio when the moon is smaller (furthest) and the Sun largest (closest).
