Solar eclipse of October 23, 1957
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| Total eclipse | |
 Map | |
| Gamma | 1.0022 |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | 1.0013 |
| Maximum eclipse | |
| Duration | - |
| Coordinates | 71°12′S 23°06′W / 71.2°S 23.1°W |
| Max. width of band | - km |
| Times (UTC) | |
| Greatest eclipse | 4:54:02 |
| References | |
| Saros | 123 (50 of 70) |
| Catalog # (SE5000) | 9415 |
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Wednesday, October 23, 1957,[1] with a magnitude of 1.0013. 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 1.4 days after perigee (on October 21, 1957, at 13:10 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[2]
It was unusual that while it is a total solar eclipse, it is not a central one. A non-central eclipse is one where the center-line of totality does not intersect the surface of the Earth (when the gamma is between 0.9972 and 1.0260). Instead, the center line passes just above the Earth's surface. This rare type occurs when totality is only visible at sunset or sunrise in a polar region.
While totality was not visible for any land masses, a partial eclipse was visible for Southern Africa, Antarctica, and New Zealand. This was the last of 44 umbral solar eclipses in Solar Saros 123.
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 | 1957 October 23 at 02:51:30.3 UTC |
| Ecliptic Conjunction | 1957 October 23 at 04:43:52.2 UTC |
| First Umbral External Contact | 1957 October 23 at 04:49:55.5 UTC |
| Greatest Eclipse | 1957 October 23 at 04:54:02.5 UTC |
| Last Umbral External Contact | 1957 October 23 at 04:57:47.0 UTC |
| Equatorial Conjunction | 1957 October 23 at 05:22:28.4 UTC |
| Last Penumbral External Contact | 1957 October 23 at 06:56:24.8 UTC |
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Eclipse Magnitude | 1.00130 |
| Eclipse Obscuration | - |
| Gamma | −1.00218 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 13h49m48.9s |
| Sun Declination | -11°18'19.3" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 16'04.7" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.8" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 13h48m44.3s |
| Moon Declination | -12°16'32.6" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 16'26.5" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 1°00'20.5" |
| ΔT | 32.1 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.
| October 23 Ascending node (new moon) | November 7 Descending node (full moon) |
|---|---|
|  |
| Total solar eclipse Solar Saros 123 | Total lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 135 |
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