Solar eclipse of May 6, 1883
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| Total eclipse | |
Caroline Atoll, Caroline Islands. | |
| Gamma | −0.425 |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | 1.0634 |
| Maximum eclipse | |
| Duration | 358 s (5 min 58 s) |
| Coordinates | 8°06′S 144°36′W / 8.1°S 144.6°W |
| Max. width of band | 229 km (142 mi) |
| Times (UTC) | |
| Greatest eclipse | 21:53:49 |
| References | |
| Saros | 136 (30 of 71) |
| Catalog # (SE5000) | 9241 |
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit between Sunday, May 6, and Monday, May 7, 1883, with a magnitude of 1.0634. 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 1.1 days after perigee (on May 5, 1883, at 20:20 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[1]
The path of totality was visible from parts of the South Pacific Ocean. A partial solar eclipse was also visible for parts of eastern Australia, Oceania, Hawaii, Central America, and western South America.

An expedition of American astronomers traveled from Peru to Caroline Island aboard the USS Hartford to observe the total solar eclipse. A French expedition also observed the eclipse from Caroline, and the United States Navy mapped the atoll.[2] Johann Palisa, a member of the expedition, discovered an asteroid later that year which he named Carolina "in remembrance of his visit to [the] island".[3]
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.[4]
| Event | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|
| First Penumbral External Contact | 1883 May 6 at 19:21:10.1 UTC |
| First Umbral External Contact | 1883 May 6 at 20:18:44.5 UTC |
| First Central Line | 1883 May 6 at 20:20:08.5 UTC |
| First Umbral Internal Contact | 1883 May 6 at 20:21:32.7 UTC |
| First Penumbral Internal Contact | 1883 May 6 at 21:34:45.7 UTC |
| Equatorial Conjunction | 1883 May 6 at 21:45:09.2 UTC |
| Greatest Eclipse | 1883 May 6 at 21:53:48.9 UTC |
| Greatest Duration | 1883 May 6 at 21:56:03.6 UTC |
| Ecliptic Conjunction | 1883 May 6 at 21:58:10.3 UTC |
| Last Penumbral Internal Contact | 1883 May 6 at 22:13:04.8 UTC |
| Last Umbral Internal Contact | 1883 May 6 at 23:26:12.7 UTC |
| Last Central Line | 1883 May 6 at 23:27:35.7 UTC |
| Last Umbral External Contact | 1883 May 6 at 23:28:58.4 UTC |
| Last Penumbral External Contact | 1883 May 7 at 00:26:34.2 UTC |
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Eclipse Magnitude | 1.06341 |
| Eclipse Obscuration | 1.13085 |
| Gamma | −0.42503 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 02h54m04.8s |
| Sun Declination | +16°37'58.2" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 15'50.7" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.7" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 02h54m25.5s |
| Moon Declination | +16°12'38.1" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 16'35.5" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 1°00'53.6" |
| ΔT | -5.6 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.
| April 22 Ascending node (full moon) | May 6 Descending node (new moon) |
|---|---|
| Partial lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 110 | Total solar eclipse Solar Saros 136 |