These eclipse maps display local circumstances computed using the IQP eclipse computational model. This model is based on an accurate 3D numerical technique developed between 2012 and 2017 by team member John Irwin. The IQP method is less computationally demanding than the 3D one, but it aims to compute internal contact times (i.e. second and third contact) to within 0.1 seconds of the times derived from the 3D method.

The IQP method accounts for the topography on both the lunar limb and at the observer site, as well as relying on an improved value for the eclipse solar radius (959.95″ ± 0.05″, based on research by the Besselian Elements Team). The eclipse centreline and the northern and southern limits of the shadow path also account for these three factors. Hence, these lines are not smooth lines, as in most publicly-available eclipse maps, but can be noticeably uneven, if not jagged.

The true-limb central path is drawn as transparent bands in three regions. The inner grey band is the region where the eclipse is predicted reliably to be total or annular. The two outer red bands along its edges are zones of uncertainty, reflecting the error on the eclipse solar radius. Red lines are the path limits and the blue line is the centreline. More broadly, the dark grey curves show the extent of the penumbral shadow coverage: the penumbral limits, rising-and-setting curves marking where the eclipse is in progress at sunrise and sunset, and the lines of maximum eclipse in the horizon.

Click anywhere on the map to get the local circumstances at that point. The popup shows: the type of eclipse, the obscuration and duration, a table of contacts (C1 to C4), maximum eclipse, sunrise and sunset, with the date and time in the local time zone and the altitude and azimuth of the Sun. Second and third contact are given to a tenth of a second to reflect their higher accuracy, but note that no corrections for refraction are applied.

For a point inside the path, the Lunar Limb button opens a simulation of how the solar and lunar limbs move with respect to each other. The simulation shows the photosphere as it appears through the valleys of the lunar limb around the times of second and third contact. Two views are offered: the linear plot, the limb unrolled at true scale, and the polar plot, a disc with the relief exaggerated. The brightness follows the Sun’s limb darkening (Hestroffer & Magnan’s law) but the chromosphere, the corona, seeing and diffraction are not modelled. So the simulation shows where and when the beads form, not how they might look in reality.

To find a place of interest, type its name in the search box at the top right of the map and choose it from the list: the map moves there and an orange pin marks the spot. The list draws on the GeoNames gazetteer, containing towns with more than 500 inhabitants, searched as you type. A name it does not know about is looked up on OpenStreetMap when you press Enter. The box also takes coordinates, latitude first, in the following formats: 36.53, -6.29 (decimal degrees); 36 31.82 N, 6 17.39 W (degrees and decimal minutes); 36 31 49 N, 6 17 23 W (degrees, minutes and seconds). The letters N, S, E and W may replace the sign. The pin stays fixed until the next point is chosen; a click on it reopens its circumstances.

The following table summarises technical aspects of the computations. The map will be updated a couple of months before the eclipse when more accurate EOP predictions become available.

Eclipse	ASE20270206.
Planetary ephemeris	JPL/DE440.
Astrometric method	Light-time + gravitational light deflection + planetary aberration.
Astrometric origin	Topocentric.
Earth orientation model	IAU2006A-EQX + EOP (TT–UT1 = +69.2865 s).
Earth orientation parameters	TAI–UTC = +37 s, UT1–UTC = -0.1025 s, polar motion = (+0.066, +0.383)″.
Moon orientation model	ME421 (relative to PA440).
Mean solar radius	(696221 ± 36) km or (959.95 ± 0.05)″ at one au.
Mean lunar radius	1738.091 km.
Terrestrial radii	6378.137 km, 6356.752 km (WGS84).
Lunar DEM	SLDEM2015/LDEM128 (256/128 pixels per degree).
Terrestrial DEM	SRTM3 (1200 pixels per degree) + EGM96 geoid undulation.
Software	EclipseView, LimbView & SkyWare (proprietary).
Place names	GeoNames (CC BY 4.0); OpenStreetMap Nominatim for the rest.