Eclipse on Durin’s Day?

[Alcuin]

This question seems appropriate, given that there is a total eclipse of the sun today.

In Chapter 11, “On the Doorstep”, Bilbo watches the thrust break snail shells and realizes the meaning of “Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks.” As the last light of Durin’s Day arrives, he urges Thorin to use the key Gandalf gave him.

Then Thorin stepped up and drew the key on its chain from round his neck. He put it to the hole. It fitted and it turned! Snap! The gleam went out, the sun sank, the moon was gone, and evening sprang into the sky.

I want to focus on the sentence,

The gleam went out, the sun sank, the moon was gone, and evening sprang into the sky.

So there’s the barest sliver of a moon that sets with the sun.

• Solar eclipses always occur with new moons – this is just barely a not-new moon.
• They occur when the moon is directly between the earth and sun – to set together, they’d have to be almost in line.

Isn’t this a description of a just-missed eclipse?

Added: Today’s eclipse stops right on the North Pole.

[Valandil]

Interesting thought - and really cool. I wonder if that was Tolkien's intent - or just a regular sunset. I'm going to pull out my book later and re-read that part.