Solar eclipse of April 8, 1959
An annular solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Wednesday, April 8, 1959, with a magnitude of 0.9401. 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. An annular eclipse appears as a partial eclipse over a region of the Earth thousands of kilometres wide. Occurring about 2.9 days after apogee, the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
Annularity was visible from Australia, southeastern tip of Milne Bay Province in the Territory of Papua New Guinea, British Solomon Islands, Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Tokelau, and Swains Island in American Samoa. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of Australia, Antarctica, Southeast Asia, and Oceania.
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.| Event | Time |
| First Penumbral External Contact | 1959 April 8 at 00:27:28.0 UTC |
| First Umbral External Contact | 1959 April 8 at 01:36:33.3 UTC |
| First Central Line | 1959 April 8 at 01:39:23.2 UTC |
| First Umbral Internal Contact | 1959 April 8 at 01:42:14.0 UTC |
| Equatorial Conjunction | 1959 April 8 at 03:08:03.5 UTC |
| Greatest Eclipse | 1959 April 8 at 03:24:08.2 UTC |
| Ecliptic Conjunction | 1959 April 8 at 03:29:32.4 UTC |
| Greatest Duration | 1959 April 8 at 03:30:28.4 UTC |
| Last Umbral Internal Contact | 1959 April 8 at 05:06:13.3 UTC |
| Last Central Line | 1959 April 8 at 05:09:05.4 UTC |
| Last Umbral External Contact | 1959 April 8 at 05:11:56.5 UTC |
| Last Penumbral External Contact | 1959 April 8 at 06:20:59.2 UTC |
| Parameter | Value |
| Eclipse Magnitude | 0.94012 |
| Eclipse Obscuration | 0.88382 |
| Gamma | −0.45463 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 01h04m44.7s |
| Sun Declination | +06°53'31.5" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 15'58.4" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.8" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 01h05m13.2s |
| Moon Declination | +06°29'54.6" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 14'49.0" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 0°54'22.5" |
| ΔT | 32.8 s |
Eclipse season
This eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months 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.| March 24 Ascending node | April 8 Descending node |
| Partial lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 112 | Annular solar eclipse Solar Saros 138 |
Related eclipses
Eclipses in 1959
- A partial lunar eclipse on March 24.An annular solar eclipse on April 8.
- A penumbral lunar eclipse on September 17.
- A total solar eclipse on October 2.
Metonic
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of June 20, 1955
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 25, 1963
Tzolkinex
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 25, 1952
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of May 20, 1966
Half-Saros
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 2, 1950
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 13, 1968
Tritos
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of May 9, 1948
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 7, 1970
Solar Saros 138
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 27, 1941
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of April 18, 1977
Inex
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of April 28, 1930
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 18, 1988
Triad
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of June 6, 1872
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 5, 2046