January 14, 2029: a partial solar eclipse over North America

The eclipse crosses North America during the morning and early afternoon of Sunday, January 14, 2029. It is partial everywhere. Northern Canada sees the most, about 82% of the Sun covered near Yellowknife, and most cities in the United States outside Florida see at least 40%.

Why the January 14 eclipse never becomes total

The Moon casts two shadows. Its small, dark inner shadow is the one that makes a total eclipse. Around it lies a huge, pale outer shadow, thousands of miles across, where the Moon blocks only part of the Sun.

On January 14, 2029, the Moon passes a little too far north of the line between the Sun and the Earth. Its dark inner shadow slips past about 220 miles above the North Pole and never touches the ground. Only the pale outer shadow falls on the planet. Everyone under it sees a dark disc cover one side of the Sun for an hour or two, from about a quarter of it in Miami to four-fifths near Yellowknife.

What 70% or 80% actually looks like

Our eyes adjust so well that even with three-quarters of the Sun covered, most people only notice that the light feels a little thin and shadows look sharper than usual. The sky stays blue and nothing gets dark.

Light coming through the gaps between leaves, or through the holes of a kitchen colander, throws dozens of small crescents onto the ground. Through eclipse glasses, the Sun looks like a bright orange crescent moon.

In Seattle, Vancouver, San Francisco, Edmonton and Yellowknife the eclipse starts before sunrise, so the Sun comes up with part of it already covered. A crescent Sun low over water or mountains makes a striking photograph, as long as the camera has a proper solar filter.

Eclipse times and coverage by city

Best places to see the January 2029 partial eclipse

• Alberta and the Northwest Territories The biggest eclipse, close to 80% in Edmonton and 82% near Yellowknife, but the winter Sun is only a few degrees up and the mornings are bitterly cold.
• Seattle, Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest About 70%, with the Sun rising already eclipsed. You need a clear view low to the southeast.
• The Rockies and the northern Plains Calgary, Winnipeg, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and Denver get 64 to 77%, with the Sun high enough to clear most trees and buildings.
• The East Coast About 40% around midday in New York and Washington, with the Sun well up in the southern sky.

How to watch it safely

Use certified eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer for the whole eclipse, and put a proper solar filter on the front of any camera, binoculars or telescope. Sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not enough. A pinhole projector or a colander lets you watch the crescent on the ground without looking up at all. Our eye safety guide explains what to look for when buying glasses.

The next total eclipses in North America

After January 2029, the next total eclipse in North America comes on March 30, 2033, across western and northern Alaska. The lower 48 states follow with a sunset eclipse over Montana and North Dakota on August 23, 2044 and a coast-to-coast eclipse on August 12, 2045.