The 2021 eclipse in White Oak, North Carolina, USA
Here is all the detailed information you need to know about watching the 2021 annular eclipse from White Oak!
34.7396N, 78.7186O
A rough animation of what the June 10, 2021 eclipse will look like from White Oak.
(In this view, the top of the frame is always "up", toward the highest point in the sky.)
View the instructions for the animation above (please read!)
A word about "Atmospheric Refraction"
Refraction plays a very important role in the 2021 eclipse, because it applies to objects like the Sun and Moon when they are very close to the horizon. The effect serves to make the Sun and Moon appear slightly higher in the sky than they otherwise would. This means they will appear to rise earlier than what the math might suggest. This is normally no big deal, because it happens every day. But when an eclipse is happening while the Sun is rising, it means that you'll be able to see more of the eclipse than the math formulas tell us. But HOW MUCH more of the eclipse?
That's the problem, because the exact amount of refraction depends completely on the temperature and pressure values that exist in the atmosphere that the Sun's light is passing through. These values cannot be predicted in advance, and so we don't know EXACTLY (to the fraction of a second) what time the Sun will appear to rise in any given location! We do know when the eclipse will be happening, but we don't know EXACTLY where the Sun will be (with respect to the horizon) when the important milestones of the eclipse are happening.
We know the usual values for refraction, and we can give pretty good estimates based on what the weather forecasts are. But if you're wanting to know EXACT values and times for sunrise, you're going to be disappointed; sunrise is NEVER predicted to an accuracy at the level of seconds, for just this reason.
In the animation on each city page, we've given you a slider that lets you play with the refraction values. You can leave the slider as is, and this will be an "average" value for refraction that approximates what you most likely will see. Or, you can move the slider left or right to make the refraction values more or less aggressive. This is the best we can do by way of predicting what you'll exactly see.
As a general guide, we can tell you that refraction will increase if the barometric pressure increases, and the refraction will decrease if the temperature goes down. If you're using this tool to plan your eclipse-day activities, you'll want to explore a range of possible values when making your decision as to where to locate yourself on eclipse morning. Part of the fun and excitement of a sunrise or sunset eclipse is not really knowing in advance what you'll see, and knowing that you are enjoying a very unique and special view of the eclipse. We hope you have a wonderful eclipse experience!
Standard Google Map of White Oak and vicinity
Current Weather Forecast for White Oak
CURRENT CLOUD COVER:
LOCAL | NATIONAL
Visit our Weather links for other great cloud cover forecast maps!
Xavier Jubier's interactive map of the path near White Oak
See our instructions page for use of the above map!
Launch a full-screen version of the above map!
When will the 2021 annular eclipse happen?
The eclipse in White Oak will be PARTIAL (though please see below to determine what phase(s) may be visible),
and we’ve calculated the local circumstances (using the lat/long noted above and ΔT=69.35s), as follows:
All eclipse circumstances have been calculated for each city using that city's latitude and longitude as sourced from public records. Eclipse2024.org has taken all reasonable measures to ensure the accuracy of the latitude and longitude shown; however, the user of any eclipse information on the Eclipse2024.org site should verify that these coordinates are correct for the intended viewing location. You can do this using web tools such as Google, latlong.net, lat-long.com or gps-coordinates.net. Please let us know if you believe the coordinates need to be updated for any city in our database.
None of the values below reflect "Atmospheric Refraction".
This is IMPORTANT for the 2021 eclipse,
so please read about it in the instructions link below.
(You can also see the effects in the animation at the top of this page.)Atmospheric Refraction applies to the Sun and Moon when they are low on the horizon. The effect makes them appear higher in the sky than they really are, so you might see more of the eclipse than you otherwise would!
Please read the instructions in the link below to see what all these values mean!
View the instructions for the values shown in the table
In this table, we’ve listed the following information:
Location identifier and latitude/longitude
The times in the table have been calculated based on this exact location. Times can shift by several seconds as you get several miles/km away from the location shown.
Notes
Here, we give you one of the following notes to tell you what is most likely to happen given "typical" refraction:
- All eclipse above horizon
You should see all of the eclipse! - All of annular phase may be visible
Refraction might be enough to allow you to see all of the annular phase. - All of annular phase should be visible
Refraction should be enough to allow you to see all of the annular phase. - Annular phase most likely below horizon
Refraction will most likely not be enough to allow you to see any of the annular phase. - Eclipse almost certainly not visible
Refraction will most likely not be enough to allow you to see any of the eclipse. - Eclipse very unlikely to be visible
Refraction will probably not be enough to allow you to see any of the eclipse. - Good chance to see small amount of eclipse
Refraction will probably be enough to just barely allow you to see some of the partial phase of the eclipse. - Should see very small amount of eclipse
Refraction should definitely be enough to just barely allow you to see some of the partial phase of the eclipse. - Sun may touch horizon during eclipse
A very special case, where the eclipse will begin with the Sun above the horizon - then the Sun will dip down to the horizon before lifting up again. - Sun rises during eclipse
The Sun should rise during the eclipse, but you will most likely only see the partial phase. - Sun rises during eclipse - annular phase may be visible
The Sun should rise during the eclipse, and refraction might be enough to allow you to see some of the annular phase. - Sun will likely rise during annular phase
The Sun should rise during the eclipse, and refraction should be enough to allow you to see some of the annular phase. - Very small chance of seeing some eclipse
Refraction will probably be enough to allow you to see some of the partial phase of the eclipse.
C1 Through C4
For all eclipses, you will see the contact times for C1, Mid, and C4, in the time zone you've selected. If the eclipse is annular, you will also see rows for C2 and C3.
These times are defined as follows:
- C1
This is the start of the partial phase of the eclipse - the beginning of the eclipse. - C2
(If applicable) This is the start of the annular phase of the eclipse. - MID
The mid-point of the eclipse, when the maximum amount of Sun is covered by the Moon. - C3
(If applicable) This is the end of the annular phase of the eclipse. - C4
This is the end of the partial phase of the eclipse - the end of the eclipse.
You will also see degree measures for an Altitude and Azimuth for each contact time. These will let you know where the Sun will be in the sky at that time, so you can check to make sure that trees, buildings or mountains won’t be in your way. (You can also go outside to your planned viewing location on the day before the eclipse at eclipse time and check it out yourself. The Sun’s location in the sky at that time won’t change enough in one day for you to notice the difference.)
- Altitude is given in degrees. The horizon is at 0°, and straight up is 90°. So 45° would be exactly halfway up, 30° would be 1/3 of the way up,
and 60° would be 2/3 of the way up. Anything in between is, well, in between!
These values do NOT take atmospheric refraction into account, so you have to rely more on the animation above to show you what will likely be visible. - PLEASE NOTE that if you see a negative altitude, that means that part of the eclipse is happening BELOW the horizon. Again, this is without taking refraction into account, but the animation and notes will help you visualize things.
- Azimuth is given as an angle so you can tell exactly where the Sun will be, and here are some references: 90° is due east, 180° is due south, and 270° is due west. So, if you see 200°, that’s a bit less than 1/3 of the way from due south to due west. 135° would be straight southeast.
A word about "Atmospheric Refraction"
Refraction plays a very important role in the 2021 eclipse, because it applies to objects like the Sun and Moon when they are very close to the horizon. The effect serves to make the Sun and Moon appear slightly higher in the sky than they otherwise would. This means they will appear to rise earlier than what the math might suggest. This is normally no big deal, because it happens every day. But when an eclipse is happening while the Sun is rising, it means that you'll be able to see more of the eclipse than the math formulas tell us. But HOW MUCH more of the eclipse?
That's the problem, because the exact amount of refraction depends completely on the temperature and pressure values that exist in the atmosphere that the Sun's light is passing through. These values cannot be predicted in advance, and so we don't know EXACTLY (to the fraction of a second) what time the Sun will appear to rise in any given location! We do know when the eclipse will be happening, but we don't know EXACTLY where the Sun will be (with respect to the horizon) when the important milestones of the eclipse are happening.
We know the usual values for refraction, and we can give pretty good estimates based on what the weather forecasts are. But if you're wanting to know EXACT values and times for sunrise, you're going to be disappointed; sunrise is NEVER predicted to an accuracy at the level of seconds, for just this reason.
In the animation on each city page, we've given you a slider that lets you play with the refraction values. You can leave the slider as is, and this will be an "average" value for refraction that approximates what you most likely will see. Or, you can move the slider left or right to make the refraction values more or less aggressive. This is the best we can do by way of predicting what you'll exactly see.
As a general guide, we can tell you that refraction will increase if the barometric pressure increases, and the refraction will decrease if the temperature goes down. If you're using this tool to plan your eclipse-day activities, you'll want to explore a range of possible values when making your decision as to where to locate yourself on eclipse morning. Part of the fun and excitement of a sunrise or sunset eclipse is not really knowing in advance what you'll see, and knowing that you are enjoying a very unique and special view of the eclipse. We hope you have a wonderful eclipse experience!
City | Lat | Long | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
White Oak |
34.7396N |
78.7186O |
Sun rises during eclipse |
C1 (EDT (GMT-4)) | 04:37:09 | c1_alt | -14.8° | c1_az | 47.4° |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
mid (EDT (GMT-4)) | 05:28:40 | mid_alt | -6.5° | mid_az | 56° |
C4 (EDT (GMT-4)) | 06:23:33 | c4_alt | 3.3° | c4_az | 64° |