Solar Eclipse Timer

The Solar Eclipse Timer app was developed by me, an expert eclipse chaser and eclipse educator, to help people get the most enjoyment out of observing and photographing a total solar eclipse.

#1 ECLIPSE TIMING APP
The first version of my “eclipse talking timer” was used in 2002 as a Windows program. Updated to a mobile app, it was the #1 eclipse timing app used during the 2017 total solar eclipse that crossed the United States. It was then used successfully for solar eclipses in 2019, 2020, 2021, and most recently, 2023 in Australia.

It was featured in Sky and Telescope Magazine in 2002, 2003, 2017, and 2022. Fred Espenak, Mr. Eclipse, used the app in 2017, and he recommended it on his blog. It was used by Destin Sandlin of the YouTube channel Smarter Every Day for his two eclipses in 2017 and 2019, and he recommends the app. Elizabeth Howell from sapce.com gave it a positive review in 2017. Over 630 positive comments were posted after the 2017 eclipse.

The unique feature of the app is that after automatically calculating your exact contact times for your final observing position, it announces out loud the countdowns to the contact times. This is essential for eclipse photographers! It reminds you to observe interesting eclipse phenomena. It tells you when it is safe to take your glasses off and when to put them back on. There are spoken reminders for MAX eclipse, looking for planets and stars, and observing the horizon. You won’t miss a thing because I become your personal eclipse astronomer, talking you through the eclipse!

It is so easy to use! Basically a “Two Tap Setup.” Get into the path; 1 Tap to Geolocate. 2. Tap to Load the Contact Times. That’s it! You are now timing the eclipse!

FREE DOWNLOAD
The app is a FREE download to try it out. It then has in-app purchases to BUY the eclipse data set for the 2024 eclipse.

The FREE download portion allows you to play with the app, see its features and realize its benefits for you on Eclipse Day. Watch a built-in app tutorial that explains all of the functions of the app. Watch a built-in eclipse observation site practice session to hear the app working during an eclipse!

WORKS IN REMOTE LOCATIONS
Solar Eclipse Timer will work anywhere. The app does its calculations internally. It does not require cell service or an internet connection to work. It only requires a GPS signal or manually entering GPS coordinates for the calculations to occur.

I PROVIDE THE TWO BEST TOOLS FOR ECLIPSE PREPARATION!
The Solar Eclipse Timer app is coordinated with my solar eclipse preparation book called “Eclipse Day - 2024 and More! How to enjoy, observe, and photograph a total solar eclipse.” This unique book has its chapters organized by the progression of the eclipse on eclipse day, and the chapters also follow the sequence of announcements by the app. See my website, solareclipsetimer.com, for more information about the book.

OTHER FEATURES
Partial Eclipse Timing Mode - It can also time the eclipse as a partial eclipse if you are not in the path of totality. It displays your maximum percent coverage and then continuously displays the progress of the eclipse. The announcements are altered to be appropriate for your maximum eclipse percentage.

This app Is Ad Free! This app DOES NOT track user data in any form.

ALWAYS USE EYE PROTECTION DURING THE PARTIAL PHASES OF A SOLAR ECLIPSE! OR EVEN WHEN IT IS BRIGHT! NOT DOING SO CAN CAUSE EYE DAMAGE!

We are NOT liable for misuse of the app causing inaccurate timing or the lack of eye safety precautions during the observation of a solar eclipse.

The "glasses off" and "glasses on" statements are a guide based on the calculated contact times. The timing can be affected by your phone's clock and the shape of the shadow due to the edge of the lunar limb. Use the Adjust buttons for Lunar Limb variation times adjustments. Glasses should be ON if it's bright!