Solar eclipse of January 4, 1973
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Annular eclipse | |
 Map | |
| Gamma | −0.2644 |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | 0.9303 |
| Maximum eclipse | |
| Duration | 469 s (7 min 49 s) |
| Coordinates | 37°54′S 51°12′W / 37.9°S 51.2°W |
| Max. width of band | 271 km (168 mi) |
| Times (UTC) | |
| Greatest eclipse | 15:46:21 |
| References | |
| Saros | 131 (48 of 70) |
| Catalog # (SE5000) | 9449 |
An annular solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Thursday, January 4, 1973,[1] with a magnitude of 0.9303. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun's, blocking most of the Sun's light and causing the Sun to look like an annulus (ring). An annular eclipse appears as a partial eclipse over a region of the Earth thousands of kilometres wide. Occurring about 3.75 days after apogee (on December 31, 1972, at 21:50 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.[2]
Annularity was visible from Chile and Argentina. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of southern and central South America, Antarctica, West Africa, and Southern Africa.
Shown below are two tables displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. The first table outlines times at which the Moon's penumbra or umbra attains the specific parameter, and the second table describes various other parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[3]
| Event | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|
| First Penumbral External Contact | 1973 January 4 at 12:44:40.6 UTC |
| First Umbral External Contact | 1973 January 4 at 13:50:14.3 UTC |
| First Central Line | 1973 January 4 at 13:53:17.7 UTC |
| First Umbral Internal Contact | 1973 January 4 at 13:56:21.3 UTC |
| First Penumbral Internal Contact | 1973 January 4 at 15:07:01.4 UTC |
| Greatest Duration | 1973 January 4 at 15:35:51.4 UTC |
| Equatorial Conjunction | 1973 January 4 at 15:39:50.9 UTC |
| Ecliptic Conjunction | 1973 January 4 at 15:43:12.3 UTC |
| Greatest Eclipse | 1973 January 4 at 15:46:20.7 UTC |
| Last Penumbral Internal Contact | 1973 January 4 at 16:25:50.8 UTC |
| Last Umbral Internal Contact | 1973 January 4 at 17:36:25.9 UTC |
| Last Central Line | 1973 January 4 at 17:39:27.4 UTC |
| Last Umbral External Contact | 1973 January 4 at 17:42:28.4 UTC |
| Last Penumbral External Contact | 1973 January 4 at 18:47:58.6 UTC |
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Eclipse Magnitude | 0.93032 |
| Eclipse Obscuration | 0.86549 |
| Gamma | −0.26441 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 19h01m31.4s |
| Sun Declination | -22°41'24.6" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 16'15.9" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.9" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 19h01m44.3s |
| Moon Declination | -22°55'32.0" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 14'54.7" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 0°54'43.6" |
| ΔT | 43.4 s |
Eclipse season
This eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two (or occasionally three) eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months (173 days) later; thus two full eclipse seasons always occur each year. Either two or three eclipses happen each eclipse season. In the sequence below, each eclipse is separated by a fortnight.
| January 4 Ascending node (new moon) | January 18 Descending node (full moon) |
|---|---|
|  |
| Annular solar eclipse Solar Saros 131 | Penumbral lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 143 |
.jpg)
