Solar eclipse of August 7, 1869


A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit between Saturday, August 7, and Sunday, August 8, 1869, with a magnitude of 1.0551. 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. Occurring about 1.6 days before perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
The path of totality was visible from parts of modern-day eastern Russia, Alaska, western Canada, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. A partial solar eclipse was also visible for parts of Northeast Asia, North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Observations

This eclipse was the first major eclipse photographed and also included many different scientific expeditions to view it across totality.
Maria Mitchell took a group of Vassar College students to view the eclipse with telescopes in Burlington, Iowa.
In 1869, astronomer and explorer George Davidson made a scientific trip to the Chilkat Valley of Alaska. He told the Chilkat Indians that he was anxious to observe a total eclipse of the Sun that was predicted to occur the following day, August 7. This prediction was considered to have saved Davidson's expedition from an attack.
A photographic expedition was organized by Philadelphia's Henry Morton under the authority of John H. C. Coffin, U.S.N., Superintendent of the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac. The expedition observed the eclipse in Iowa at three stations: Burlington, Mount Pleasant, and Ottumwa, under the respective supervisions of Alfred M. Mayer, Henry Morton, and Charles Francis Himes.
Observations were also made by meteorology pioneers Cleveland Abbe and General Albert Myer, in Dakota Territory and Virginia, respectively.

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.
EventTime
First Penumbral External Contact1869 August 7 at 19:38:08.9 UTC
First Umbral External Contact1869 August 7 at 20:44:43.8 UTC
First Central Line1869 August 7 at 20:46:19.1 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact1869 August 7 at 20:47:55.4 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction1869 August 7 at 21:46:10.8 UTC
Greatest Duration1869 August 7 at 22:00:53.7 UTC
Greatest Eclipse1869 August 7 at 22:01:04.7 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction1869 August 7 at 22:08:11.2 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact1869 August 7 at 23:14:22.8 UTC
Last Central Line1869 August 7 at 23:16:00.7 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact1869 August 7 at 23:17:37.6 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact1869 August 8 at 00:24:03.9 UTC

ParameterValue
Eclipse Magnitude1.05514
Eclipse Obscuration1.11332
Gamma0.69599
Sun Right Ascension09h11m15.8s
Sun Declination+16°14'37.3"
Sun Semi-Diameter15'46.6"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.7"
Moon Right Ascension09h11m50.9s
Moon Declination+16°55'41.0"
Moon Semi-Diameter16'27.0"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax1°00'22.4"
ΔT1.2 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.
July 23
Descending node
August 7
Ascending node
Partial lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 117		Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 143

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 1869

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 143

Inex

  • Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 27, 1840
  • Followed by: Solar eclipse of July 18, 1898

Triad

Solar eclipses of 1866–1870

The partial solar eclipses on April 15, 1866 and October 8, 1866 occur in the previous lunar year eclipse set, and the solar eclipses on June 28, 1870 and December 22, 1870 occur in the next lunar year eclipse set.

Metonic series

All eclipses in this table occur at the Moon's ascending node.