Solar eclipse of August 31, 1970
An annular solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit between Monday, August 31 and Tuesday, September 1, 1970, with a magnitude of 0.94. 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 20 hours after apogee, the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
Annularity was visible from the Territory of Papua and New Guinea, Gilbert and Ellice Islands on September 1, West Samoa and the whole American Samoa except Swains Island on August 31. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of Eastern Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica.
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 | 1970 August 31 at 19:00:38.3 UTC |
| First Umbral External Contact | 1970 August 31 at 20:12:19.4 UTC |
| First Central Line | 1970 August 31 at 20:15:18.7 UTC |
| First Umbral Internal Contact | 1970 August 31 at 20:18:19.6 UTC |
| Greatest Duration | 1970 August 31 at 21:42:42.2 UTC |
| Greatest Eclipse | 1970 August 31 at 21:55:29.9 UTC |
| Ecliptic Conjunction | 1970 August 31 at 22:01:53.6 UTC |
| Equatorial Conjunction | 1970 August 31 at 22:28:51.4 UTC |
| Last Umbral Internal Contact | 1970 August 31 at 23:32:19.4 UTC |
| Last Central Line | 1970 August 31 at 23:35:20.4 UTC |
| Last Umbral External Contact | 1970 August 31 at 23:38:19.7 UTC |
| Last Penumbral External Contact | 1970 September 1 at 00:50:07.5 UTC |
| Parameter | Value |
| Eclipse Magnitude | 0.93997 |
| Eclipse Obscuration | 0.88354 |
| Gamma | −0.53640 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 10h38m53.2s |
| Sun Declination | +08°32'52.7" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 15'50.8" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.7" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 10h37m59.0s |
| Moon Declination | +08°07'17.6" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 14'42.6" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 0°53'59.0" |
| ΔT | 40.8 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.| August 17 Ascending node | August 31 Descending node |
| Partial lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 118 | Annular solar eclipse Solar Saros 144 |
Related eclipses
Eclipses in 1970
- A partial lunar eclipse on February 21.
- A total solar eclipse on March 7.
- A partial lunar eclipse on August 17.
- '''An annular solar eclipse on August 31.'''
Metonic
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 12, 1966
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of June 20, 1974
Tzolkinex
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of July 20, 1963
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 12, 1977
Half-Saros
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 26, 1961
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 6, 1979
Tritos
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of October 2, 1959
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of July 31, 1981
Solar Saros 144
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 20, 1952
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 11, 1988
Inex
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of September 21, 1941
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of August 11, 1999
Triad
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of October 30, 1883
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of July 1, 2057