IFIC-OAUV SPECIAL Seminar: How Often Do Solar Eclipses Happen — And Who Gets the Most?

por Graham Jones (timeanddate.com)

martes 24 mar. 2026 12:00 → 13:30 Europe/Madrid

Salón de Actos - Edificio Cabecera (PCUV)

How often does a total or annular solar eclipse occur at a given point on the Earth’s surface? In 1982, the astronomer and mathematician Jean Meeus used a small personal computer to address this question in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association (BAA). Four decades later, we revisited the problem, taking advantage of the much greater computing power now available.

In addition to putting Meeus’s estimates to the test, we obtained a new result for partial eclipses. We gained further insights into the “latitude effect” and showed there is a ~21,000-year cycle in the frequency of eclipses in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Our paper has been accepted by the Journal of the BAA.

Spoiler alert: Over the next couple of years, Valencia gets more than its fair share of big solar eclipses! This talk will also include some of the things we’ve learned from communicating with the public about eclipses.
 

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ATTENTION: Special venue, as this is a joint IFIC-OAUV special seminar that will take place in the Salón de Actos del Edificio de Cabecera

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Graham Jones is an astrophysicist and science communicator at timeanddate.com, a website based in Stavanger, Norway. One of Graham’s roles is to help produce eclipse live streams for the general public and news agencies — using timeanddate’s own mobile observatory, and collaborating with observatories and astronomy clubs around the world.

https://www.timeanddate.com/company/by/graham-jones