<Li> The moon being almost exactly at perigee (making its angular diameter as large as possible). </Li> <Li> The earth being very near aphelion (furthest away from the sun in its elliptical orbit, making its angular diameter nearly as small as possible). </Li> <Li> The midpoint of the eclipse being very close to the earth's equator, where the rotational velocity is greatest . </Li> <Li> The vector of the eclipse path at the midpoint of the eclipse aligning with the vector of the earth's rotation (i.e. not diagonal but due east). </Li>

When was the last time there was a solar eclispe