Latitudinal and Hemispheric Responses of Solar Quiet Ionospheric Currents During Two Annular Solar Eclipses: Evidence From Low to Mid‐Latitude Observations

When the Moon passes in front of the Sun during an annular eclipse, sunlight reaching the Earth suddenly drops. This brief reduction in solar energy, especially in solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and X-ray light, lowers the number of charged particles in the upper atmosphere. Because these charged particles help drive electric currents around the Earth, an eclipse can temporarily change how these currents flow. We examined two recent annular solar eclipses (June 2020 and October 2023) that occurred under markedly different solar activity levels to compare solar-quiet (Sq) current responses. Global geomagnetic observations showed weakened horizontal field variations (ΔH) during both eclipses, with larger reductions in 2023. The equatorial electrojet (EEJ) exhibited contrasting behaviors, showing a brief enhancement during the 2020 eclipse but suppression followed by delayed recovery in 2023. The eastward current decreased by ∼15% in 2020 and ∼25% in 2023. The large-scale Sq current was also disturbed during both events, weakening in both hemispheres during 2020, while in 2023 the eclipse-time reductions occurred against a stronger background Sq current associated with higher solar activity. The locations of the northern and southern Sq current centers shifted in both longitude and latitude, indicating that eclipse-driven electric fields can spread between hemispheres.