Solar eclipse of February 5, 1962


A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Monday, February 5, 1962, with a magnitude of 1.043. 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 21.5 hours before perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Totality was visible from Indonesia, Netherlands New Guinea, the Territory of Papua New Guinea, British Solomon Islands, and Palmyra Atoll. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of East Asia, Australia, Oceania, Hawaii, and western North America. Among these places, the eclipse was on February 5 west of the International Date Line, and February 4 east of it.
The date of this eclipse visible from Asia, February 5, was also Lunar New Year celebrated in multiple countries.
The five naked-eye planets were all near the sun at the time, and could all be seen simultaneously by any observers watching the total eclipse.

Observation

A team sent by Kyoto University of Japan observed this eclipse in Lae, the second largest city and a port on the east coast of the Territory Papua New Guinea. The spectrum was analyzed with spectrophotometry, and photometry of the inner corona was conducted.

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 Contact1962 February 4 at 21:34:34.9 UTC
First Umbral External Contact1962 February 4 at 22:30:37.9 UTC
First Central Line1962 February 4 at 22:31:19.7 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact1962 February 4 at 22:32:01.6 UTC
First Penumbral Internal Contact1962 February 4 at 23:30:13.6 UTC
Greatest Duration1962 February 5 at 00:10:27.2 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction1962 February 5 at 00:10:27.6 UTC
Greatest Eclipse1962 February 5 at 00:12:37.8 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction1962 February 5 at 00:17:05.8 UTC
Last Penumbral Internal Contact1962 February 5 at 00:54:55.5 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact1962 February 5 at 01:53:09.3 UTC
Last Central Line1962 February 5 at 01:53:52.4 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact1962 February 5 at 01:54:35.4 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact1962 February 5 at 02:50:36.1 UTC

ParameterValue
Eclipse Magnitude1.04296
Eclipse Obscuration1.08777
Gamma0.21066
Sun Right Ascension21h12m42.3s
Sun Declination-16°07'38.7"
Sun Semi-Diameter16'13.3"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.9"
Moon Right Ascension21h12m31.6s
Moon Declination-15°55'04.4"
Moon Semi-Diameter16'38.3"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax1°01'03.7"
ΔT34.0 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.
February 5
Descending node
February 19
Ascending node
Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 130		Penumbral lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 142

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 1962

A total solar eclipse on February 5.

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 130

Inex

Triad