2021

Daylight saving time by:
The Royal Decree of 19 December 2001, published in the Belgian official journal of 28 December 2001.
This Royal Decree follows Directive 2000/84/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 January 2001.

On Sunday, March 28, 2021, we switch from winter time to summer time.
At 2:00 in the morning we advance the clock by one hour (3:00).

On Sunday, October 31, 2021, we switch from summer time to winter time.
At 3:00 in the morning we move the clock back one hour (2:00).

In 2021, there will be four eclipses: two solar eclipses and two lunar eclipses

Date	Type	Visibility
26 May 2021	Total lunar eclipse	Not visible in Belgium
10 June 2021	Annular solar eclipse	Visible in Belgium as a partial eclipse
19 November 2021	Partial lunar eclipse	Partially visible in Belgium
4 December 2021	Total solar eclipse	Not visible in Belgium

I – 26 May 2021 – Total lunar eclipse, not visible in Belgium

 

 

Phase	Universal Time	Longitude	Latitude	Position angle	Altitude at Uccle/Ukkel
Penumbral eclipse begins	08h46.2	133 41 W	20 18 S	124 E	–
Partial lunar eclipse begins	09h44.6	147 42 W	20 28 S	133 E	–
Total lunar eclipse begins	11h09.4	168 03 W	20 43 S	185 E	–
Maximum de l’éclipse	11h18.7	170 16 W	20 44 S	196 E	–
Total lunar eclipse ends	11h27.9	172 29 W	20 46 S	206 E	–
Partial lunar eclipse ends	12h52.8	167 11 E	21 00 S	258 E	–
Penumbral eclipse ends	13h51.2	153 10 E	21 10 S	268 E	–

 

 

The longitude and the latitude refer to the point on Earth where the Moon is at that time at its zenith. The position angle is defined from the imaginary line that connects the center of the lunar disc to the center of the Earth’s shadow. It is measured at the center of the lunar disc, from the North, in an anti-clockwise direction. At the beginning and at the end of the penumbra and shadow phases, it is the position angle of the contact point. The altitude and times of the Moon’s rise and fall are calculated for its center, without taking refraction into account.

Magnitude of the eclipse: 1.015, the diameter of the solar disk being taken as the unit.

The map below shows the region where the eclipse is observable. The explanation of the codes used can be found at the bottom of the page.

II – 10 June 2021 – Annular solar eclipse, visible in Belgium as a partial solar eclipse

 

 

Phase	Universal Time	Longitude	Latitude
Eclipse begins	08h12.3	044 10 W	23 29 N
Annular eclipse begins	09h49.8	086 29 W	48 13 N
Central eclipse begins	09h54.9	089 30 W	50 10 N
Maximum of the eclipse	10h42.8	066 57 W	81 16 N
Central eclipse at the local solar noon	11h01.1	165 23 W	88 09 N
Central eclipse ends	11h28.7	156 32 E	63 34 N
Annular eclipse ends	11h33.8	151 19 E	62 13 N
Eclipse ends	13h11.4	094 22 E	41 16 N

 

 

Magnitude of the eclipse: 0.944, the diameter of the solar disk being taken as the unit.

The map below shows the region where the eclipse is observable. The explanation of the codes used can be found at the bottom of the page.

The duration of the annular phase along the centrality line will reach a maximum of 3m 48s at a point located at 67° of longitude west and 81° of latitude north.

 

Phases in Uccle/Ukkel – Brussels (Observatory)

 

Phase	Universal Time	Position angle relative to the pole	Position angle relative to the zenith	Altitude at Uccle/Ukkel
First contact	09h17min01s	298	334	+51
Maximum of the eclipse	10h19min06s	342	007	+58
Last contact	11h25min09s	026	032	+62

Magnitude of the eclipse: 0.263, the diameter of the solar disk being taken as the unit.

The position angle relative to the pole, resp. the zenith, is the angle formed by the direction of the centre of the lunar disc with the direction of the pole, resp. the zenith. Both angles are measured at the centre of the solar disc in an anti-clockwise direction. At the beginning and at the end of the eclipse, they correspond to the position angles of the contact points.

The altitude of the Sun is that of a reference point, which is located during the eclipse in the eclipsed part of the Sun, and which coincides with the times of contact with the point of contact of the Sun and Moon. Refraction is not taken into account.

Visibility in Belgium

The table below gives the phases for some representative Belgian sites.

In Brussels and Wallonia:

Location	Begin in universal time	Maximum in universal time	End in universal time	Magnitude
Brussels	09h17min01s	10h19min11s	11h25min20s	0.265
Nivelles/Nijvel	09h16min56s	10h18min40s	11h24min22s	0.259
Jodoigne/Geldenaken	09h18min05s	10h19min51s	11h25min28s	0.258
Tournai/Doornik	09h15min01s	10h17min05s	11h23min18s	0.267
Mons/Bergen	09h16min09s	10h17min45s	11h23min49s	0.259
Charleroi	09h17min12s	10h18min32s	11h23min49s	0.254
Chimay	09h16min56s	10h17min37s	11h22min16s	0.247
Philippeville	09h17min25s	10h18min19s	11h23min06s	0.248
Namur/Namen	09h18min04s	10h19min20s	11h24min27s	0.252
Dinant	09h18min12s	10h19min05s	11h24min47s	0.247
Gedinne	09h18min18s	10h18min36s	11h22min42s	0.240
Huy/Hoei	09h18min53s	10h20min08s	11h25min09s	0.250
Liège/Luik	09h19min36s	10h20min57s	11h26min01s	0.250
Werbomont	09h19min53s	10h20min41s	11h25min09s	0.243
Eupen	09h20min36s	10h21min46s	11h26min32s	0.246
Saint Vith/Sankt Vith	09h20min54s	10h21min19s	11h25min18s	0.237
Marche-en-Famenne	09h19min10s	10h19min47s	11h24min10s	0.243
Bastogne/Bastenaken	09h20min03s	10h20min04s	11h23min43	0.234
Libramont	09h19min08s	10h19min16s	11h22min58s	0.235
Bouillon	09h18min38s	10h18min29s	11h22min07s	0.235
Virton	09h19min45s	10h18min54s	11h21min44s	0.226
Arlon/Aarlen	09h20min21s	10h19min38s	11h22min31s	0.226

In Flanders:

Location	Begin in universal time	Maximum in universal time	End in universal time	Magnitude
Veurne	09h13min40s	10h16min46s	11h24min10s	0.283
Ostende/Oostende	09h14min10s	10h17min27s	11h24min58s	0.285
Bruges/Brugge	09h14min48s	10h17min57s	11h25min18s	0.282
Poperinge	09h13min44s	10h16min27s	11h23min27s	0.278
Courtrai/Kortrijk	09h14min48s	10h17min18s	11h23min59s	0.273
Gand/Gent	09h15min45s	10h18min30s	11h25min20s	0.274
Audenarde/Oudenaarde	09h15min29s	10h17min54s	11h24min26s	0.271
Grammont/Geraardsbergen	09h16min03s	10h18min15s	11h24min31s	0.267
Alost/Aalst	09h16min22s	10h18min49s	11h25min18s	0.269
Saint-Nicolas/Sint-Niklaas	09h16min36s	10h19min25s	11h26min14s	0.273
Malines/Mechelen	09h17min17s	10h19min45s	11h26min09s	0.268
Anvers/Antwerpen	09h17min08s	10h19min58s	11h26min45s	0.273
Essen	09h17min18s	10h20min31s	11h27min41s	0.278
Turnhout	09h18min16s	10h21min06s	11h27min46s	0.271
Geel	09h18min21s	10h20min52s	11h27min15s	0.267
Neerpelt	09h19min16s	10h21min46s	11h28min01s	0.265
Hasselt	09h19min04s	10h21min04s	11h26min49s	0.259
Tongres/Tongeren	09h19min21s	10h21min01s	11h26min25s	0.254
Maaseik	9h20min02s	10h22min10s	11h27min59s	0.259
Louvain/Leuven	09h17min44s	10h19min51s	11h25min52s	0.263
Diest	09h18min28s	10h20min40s	11h26min40s	0.262

III – 19 November 2021 – Partial lunar eclipse, partially visible in Belgium

Phase	Universal Time	Longitude	Latitude	Position angle	Altitude at Uccle/Ukkel
Penumbral eclipse begins	06h00.4	094 59 W	18 40 N	054 E	+08
Moonset at Uccle/Ukkel	06h56.9	108 42 W	18 49 N	048 E	0
Partial eclipse begins	07h18.4	113 54 W	18 53 N	044 E	–
Maximum of the eclipse	09h02.9	139 14 W	19 09 N	341 E	–
Partial eclipse ends	10h47.4	164 34 W	19 26 N	278 E	–
Penumbral eclipse ends	12h05.5	176 31 E	19 38 N	268 E	–

The longitude and the latitude refer to the point on Earth where the Moon is at that time at its zenith. The position angle is defined from the imaginary line that connects the center of the lunar disc to the center of the Earth’s shadow. It is measured at the center of the lunar disc, from the North, in an anti-clockwise direction. At the beginning and at the end of the penumbra and shadow phases, it is the position angle of the contact point. The altitude and times of the Moon’s rise and fall are calculated for its center, without taking refraction into account.

Magnitude of the eclipse: 0.978, the diameter of the lunar disk being taken as the unit.

The map below shows the region where the eclipse is observable. The explanation of the codes used can be found at the bottom of the page.

IV – 4 December 2021 – Total solar eclipse, invisible in Belgium

Phase	Universal Time	Longitude	Latitude
Eclipse begins	05h29.3	005 11 W	23 10 S
Total eclipse begins	07h00.3	048 37 W	52 05 S
Central eclipse begins	07h02.9	051 13 W	53 05 S
Maximum of the eclipse	07h33.3	046 03 W	76 41 S
Central eclipse at the local solar noon	07h56.2	121 29 W	78 58 S
Central eclipse ends	08h03.8	134 09 W	67 22 S
Total eclipse ends	08h06.6	138 49 W	67 20 S
Eclipse ends	09h37.5	148 57 E	46 12 S

The map below shows the region where the eclipse is observable. The explanation of the codes used can be found at the bottom of the page.

The duration of the totality phase along the centrality line will reach a maximum of 1m 57s at a point located at 46° of longitude west and 77° of latitude south.

Explanations:

The codes used on the maps to indicate the moon eclipse visibility are: entry into the darkness is visible in regions 1 to 6, entry into the darkness in regions 2 to 7, the beginning of the totality in regions 3 to 8. The exits of the totality, the shadow and the penumbra are respectively observable in regions 4 to 9, 5 to 10, and 6 to 11. In region 6, the entire eclipse can be observed, in regions 5 to 7 the umbral phases are observable; in regions 4 to 8 the totality is fully visible.

On solar eclipse visibility maps, the following codes are used:

“P”: Partial eclipse of the Sun, visible.
“p”: Partial eclipse of the Sun, partly visible.
“R”: Annular eclipse, whose annular phase is fully observable.
“r”: Annular eclipse, whose annular phase is partially observable.
“T”: Total eclipse, whose totality phase is fully observable.
“t”: Total eclipse, whose totality phase is partially observable.

The basic data used to write the eclipse chapter were borrowed from the DE405 digital integration, kindly provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. To move from Terrestrial Time (TT) to Universal Time (UT), the following provisional relationship was used:

 

UT = TT – 70.0 s