Solar eclipse of May 18, 1901
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| Total eclipse | |
 Taken by Annie S. D. Maunder | |
 Map | |
| Gamma | −0.3626 |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | 1.068 |
| Maximum eclipse | |
| Duration | 389 s (6 min 29 s) |
| Coordinates | 1°42′S 98°24′E / 1.7°S 98.4°E |
| Max. width of band | 238 km (148 mi) |
| Times (UTC) | |
| Greatest eclipse | 5:33:48 |
| References | |
| Saros | 136 (31 of 71) |
| Catalog # (SE5000) | 9283 |
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Saturday, May 18, 1901,[1][2][3][4][5] with a magnitude of 1.068. 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. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Occurring about 23 hours after perigee (on May 17, 1901, at 6:50 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[6]
The path of totality crossed French Madagascar (the part now belonging to Madagascar), Réunion, British Mauritius (now Mauritius), Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), and British New Guinea (now belonging to Papua New Guinea). A partial eclipse was visible for parts of East Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and Western Oceania.
The Joint Permanent Eclipse Committee of the Royal Society and Royal Astronomical Society observed the total eclipse in Padang on the west coast of Sumatra, Dutch East Indies. The weather was good after sunrise on May 18, but clouds gradually increased after the start of the eclipse. During the total phase, clouds continued to cover the sun and tended to become thicker, making it increasingly difficult to see the sun through the clouds.[7] A team from Lick Observatory, California also observed it in Padang.[8]
Eclipse details
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.[9]
| Event | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|
| First Penumbral External Contact | 1901 May 18 at 02:59:47.9 UTC |
| First Umbral External Contact | 1901 May 18 at 03:56:01.2 UTC |
| First Central Line | 1901 May 18 at 03:57:29.2 UTC |
| First Umbral Internal Contact | 1901 May 18 at 03:58:57.4 UTC |
| First Penumbral Internal Contact | 1901 May 18 at 05:03:42.9 UTC |
| Equatorial Conjunction | 1901 May 18 at 05:28:40.2 UTC |
| Greatest Eclipse | 1901 May 18 at 05:33:48.0 UTC |
| Greatest Duration | 1901 May 18 at 05:35:43.3 UTC |
| Ecliptic Conjunction | 1901 May 18 at 05:37:30.7 UTC |
| Last Penumbral Internal Contact | 1901 May 18 at 06:04:00.5 UTC |
| Last Umbral Internal Contact | 1901 May 18 at 07:08:43.7 UTC |
| Last Central Line | 1901 May 18 at 07:10:10.7 UTC |
| Last Umbral External Contact | 1901 May 18 at 07:11:37.6 UTC |
| Last Penumbral External Contact | 1901 May 18 at 08:07:52.8 UTC |
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Eclipse Magnitude | 1.06800 |
| Eclipse Obscuration | 1.14063 |
| Gamma | −0.36258 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 03h37m03.3s |
| Sun Declination | +19°23'51.8" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 15'48.4" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.7" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 03h37m15.9s |
| Moon Declination | +19°02'00.5" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 16'37.0" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 1°00'58.9" |
| ΔT | -1.0 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.
| May 3 Ascending node (full moon) | May 18 Descending node (new moon) |
|---|---|
 | |
| Penumbral lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 110 |
Total solar eclipse Solar Saros 136 |
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