Solar eclipse of August 22, 1998

Summary

An annular solar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of the orbit on August 22, 1998. 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. Annularity was visible in Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands (Bellona Island and Rennell Island) and Vanuatu. Occurring only 5.2 days before apogee (Apogee on August 27, 1998), the Moon’s apparent diameter was 3.6% smaller than average.[1][2][3]

Solar eclipse of August 22, 1998
Map
Type of eclipse
NatureAnnular
Gamma−0.2644
Magnitude0.9734
Maximum eclipse
Duration194 s (3 min 14 s)
Coordinates3°00′S 145°24′E / 3°S 145.4°E / -3; 145.4
Max. width of band99 km (62 mi)
Times (UTC)
Greatest eclipse2:07:11
References
Saros135 (38 of 71)
Catalog # (SE5000)9504

Images edit

 

Related eclipses edit

Eclipses of 1998 edit

Solar eclipses 1997–2000 edit

This eclipse is a member of a semester series. An eclipse in a semester series of solar eclipses repeats approximately every 177 days and 4 hours (a semester) at alternating nodes of the Moon's orbit.[4]

Solar eclipse series sets from 1997 to 2000
Descending node   Ascending node
Saros Map Gamma Saros Map Gamma
120
 
Chita, Russia
1997 March 09
 
Total
0.91830 125 1997 September 02
 
Partial (south)
−1.03521
130
 
Total eclipse near Guadeloupe
1998 February 26
 
Total
0.23909 135 1998 August 22
 
Annular
−0.26441
140 1999 February 16
 
Annular
−0.47260 145
 
Totality from France
1999 August 11
 
Total
0.50623
150 2000 February 05
 
Partial (south)
−1.22325 155 2000 July 31
 
Partial (north)
1.21664

Partial solar eclipses on July 1, 2000 and December 25, 2000 occur in the next lunar year eclipse set.

Saros 135 edit

It is a part of Saros cycle 135, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, containing 71 events. The series started with partial solar eclipse on July 5, 1331. It contains annular eclipses from October 21, 1511, through February 24, 2305, hybrid eclipses on March 8, 2323, and March 18, 2341, and total eclipses from March 29, 2359, through May 22, 2449. The series ends at member 71 as a partial eclipse on August 17, 2593. The longest duration of totality will be 2 minutes, 27 seconds on May 12, 2431.

Metonic series edit

The metonic series repeats eclipses every 19 years (6939.69 days), lasting about 5 cycles. Eclipses occur in nearly the same calendar date. In addition, the octon subseries repeats 1/5 of that or every 3.8 years (1387.94 days). All eclipses in this table occur at the Moon's ascending node.

21 eclipse events, progressing from south to north between June 10, 1964, and August 21, 2036
June 10–11 March 27–29 January 15–16 November 3 August 21–22
117 119 121 123 125
 
June 10, 1964
 
March 28, 1968
 
January 16, 1972
 
November 3, 1975
 
August 22, 1979
127 129 131 133 135
 
June 11, 1983
 
March 29, 1987
 
January 15, 1991
 
November 3, 1994
 
August 22, 1998 137 139 141 143 145  
June 10, 2002
 
March 29, 2006
 
January 15, 2010
 
November 3, 2013
 
August 21, 2017
147 149 151 153 155
 
June 10, 2021
 
March 29, 2025
 
January 14, 2029
 
November 3, 2032
 
August 21, 2036

Notes edit

  1. ^ "Clouds may put eclipse in shade". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia. 1998-08-22. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-10-21 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Saturday". Newsday (Suffolk Edition). 1998-08-19. p. 114. Retrieved 2023-10-21 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Eclipse Aug. 23". Mitchell Tribune. 1998-08-05. p. 12. Retrieved 2023-10-21 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ van Gent, R.H. "Solar- and Lunar-Eclipse Predictions from Antiquity to the Present". A Catalogue of Eclipse Cycles. Utrecht University. Retrieved 6 October 2018.

References edit

  • Earth visibility chart and eclipse statistics Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA/GSFC
    • Google interactive map
    • Besselian elements

Photos:

  • An Annular Eclipse of the Sun APOD 8/24/1998, from Mersing on the East Coast of Malaysia