Solar eclipse of October 12, 1977

Summary

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of the orbit on Wednesday, October 12, 1977. 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. Totality was visible in the Pacific Ocean, Colombia and Venezuela.

Solar eclipse of October 12, 1977
Map
Type of eclipse
NatureTotal
Gamma0.3836
Magnitude1.0269
Maximum eclipse
Duration157 s (2 min 37 s)
Coordinates14°06′N 123°36′W / 14.1°N 123.6°W / 14.1; -123.6
Max. width of band99 km (62 mi)
Times (UTC)
Greatest eclipse20:27:27
References
Saros143 (21 of 72)
Catalog # (SE5000)9459

Related eclipses edit

Eclipses in 1977 edit

Solar eclipses of 1975–1978 edit

There were 8 solar eclipses (at 6 month intervals) between May 11, 1975 and October 2, 1978.

Solar eclipse series sets from 1975 to 1978
Descending node   Ascending node
Saros Map Gamma Saros Map Gamma
118  
1975 May 11
Partial
1.06472 123  
1975 November 3
Partial
−1.02475
128  
1976 April 29
Annular
0.33783 133  
1976 October 23
Total
−0.32699
138  
1977 April 18
Annular
−0.39903 143  
1977 October 12Total 0.38363 148  
1978 April 7
Partial
−1.10812 153  
1978 October 2
Partial
1.16164

Saros 143 edit

It is a part of Saros cycle 143, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, containing 72 events. The series started with partial solar eclipse on March 7, 1617 and total event from June 24, 1797 through October 24, 1995. It has hybrid eclipses from November 3, 2013 through December 6, 2067, and annular eclipses from December 16, 2085 through September 16, 2536. The series ends at member 72 as a partial eclipse on April 23, 2873. The longest duration of totality was 3 minutes, 50 seconds on August 19, 1887. All eclipses in this series occurs at the Moon’s ascending node.

Series members 17–28 occur between 1741 and 2100
8 9 10
 
May 23, 1743
 
June 3, 1761
 
June 14, 1779
11 12 13
 
June 24, 1797
 
July 6, 1815
 
July 17, 1833
14 15 16
 
July 28, 1851
 
August 7, 1869
 
August 19, 1887
17 18 19
 
August 30, 1905
 
September 10, 1923
 
September 21, 1941
20 21 22
 
October 2, 1959
 
October 12, 1977  
October 24, 1995
23 24 25
 
November 3, 2013
 
November 14, 2031
 
November 25, 2049
26 27 28
 
December 6, 2067
 
December 16, 2085

Inex series edit

This eclipse is a part of the long period inex cycle, repeating at alternating nodes, every 358 synodic months (≈ 10,571.95 days, or 29 years minus 20 days). Their appearance and longitude are irregular due to a lack of synchronization with the anomalistic month (period of perigee). However, groupings of 3 inex cycles (≈ 87 years minus 2 months) comes close (≈ 1,151.02 anomalistic months), so eclipses are similar in these groupings.

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.

22 eclipse events between December 24, 1916 and July 31, 2000
December 24–25 October 12–13 July 31-Aug 1 May 18–20 March 7–8
91 93 95 97 99
December 23, 1878 October 12, 1882 July 31, 1886 May 18, 1890 March 7, 1894
101 103 105 107 109
December 23, 1897 October 12, 1901 August 1, 1905 May 19, 1909 March 8, 1913
111 113 115 117 119
 
December 24, 1916
October 12, 1920  
July 31, 1924
 
May 19, 1928
 
March 7, 1932
121 123 125 127 129
 
December 25, 1935
 
October 12, 1939
 
August 1, 1943
 
May 20, 1947
 
March 7, 1951
131 133 135 137 139
 
December 25, 1954
 
October 12, 1958
 
July 31, 1962
 
May 20, 1966
 
March 7, 1970
141 143 145 147 149
 
December 24, 1973
 
October 12, 1977  
July 31, 1981
 
May 19, 1985
 
March 7, 1989
151 153 155 157 159
 
December 24, 1992
 
October 12, 1996
 
July 31, 2000
May 19, 2004 March 7, 2008
161 163 165 167 169
December 24, 2011 October 13, 2015 August 1, 2019 May 19, 2023 March 8, 2027

Notes edit

References edit

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