Solar eclipse of August 20, 1952
An annular solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Wednesday, August 20, 1952, with a magnitude of 0.942. 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 1.2 days after apogee, the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
Annularity was visible from Peru including the capital city Lima, northeastern Chile, Bolivia including the constitutional capital Sucre and seat of government La Paz, Argentina, Paraguay, southern Brazil and Uruguay. A partial eclipse was visible for most of Central America, the Caribbean, and South America.
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 | 1952 August 20 at 12:22:27.8 UTC |
| First Umbral External Contact | 1952 August 20 at 13:36:36.8 UTC |
| First Central Line | 1952 August 20 at 13:39:39.7 UTC |
| First Umbral Internal Contact | 1952 August 20 at 13:42:44.8 UTC |
| Greatest Duration | 1952 August 20 at 15:00:09.1 UTC |
| Greatest Eclipse | 1952 August 20 at 15:13:35.2 UTC |
| Ecliptic Conjunction | 1952 August 20 at 15:20:50.2 UTC |
| Equatorial Conjunction | 1952 August 20 at 15:48:35.8 UTC |
| Last Umbral Internal Contact | 1952 August 20 at 16:44:03.7 UTC |
| Last Central Line | 1952 August 20 at 16:47:08.7 UTC |
| Last Umbral External Contact | 1952 August 20 at 16:50:11.3 UTC |
| Last Penumbral External Contact | 1952 August 20 at 18:04:27.3 UTC |
| Parameter | Value |
| Eclipse Magnitude | 0.94203 |
| Eclipse Obscuration | 0.88742 |
| Gamma | −0.61023 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 09h58m50.8s |
| Sun Declination | +12°20'20.6" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 15'48.6" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.7" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 09h57m52.3s |
| Moon Declination | +11°50'44.7" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 14'43.1" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 0°54'01.0" |
| ΔT | 30.2 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.| August 5 Ascending node | August 20 Descending node |
| Partial lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 118 | Annular solar eclipse Solar Saros 144 |
Related eclipses
Eclipses in 1952
- A partial lunar eclipse on February 11.
- A total solar eclipse on February 25.
- A partial lunar eclipse on August 5.
- '''An annular solar eclipse on August 20.'''
Metonic
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 1, 1948
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of June 8, 1956
Tzolkinex
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of July 9, 1945
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 2, 1959
Half-Saros
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 15, 1943
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 26, 1961
Tritos
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of September 21, 1941
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of July 20, 1963
Solar Saros 144
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 10, 1934
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of August 31, 1970
Inex
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of September 10, 1923
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of July 31, 1981
Triad
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of October 19, 1865
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of June 21, 2039