Solar eclipse of January 16, 1972
An annular solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Sunday, January 16, 1972, with a magnitude of 0.9692. 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 7.3 days after apogee, the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
Annularity was visible from a part of Antarctica. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of Antarctica and extreme southern 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 | 1972 January 16 at 08:45:57.2 UTC |
| First Umbral External Contact | 1972 January 16 at 10:22:15.3 UTC |
| First Central Line | 1972 January 16 at 10:25:28.8 UTC |
| Greatest Duration | 1972 January 16 at 10:25:28.8 UTC |
| First Umbral Internal Contact | 1972 January 16 at 10:28:57.8 UTC |
| Equatorial Conjunction | 1972 January 16 at 10:33:15.2 UTC |
| Ecliptic Conjunction | 1972 January 16 at 10:53:05.1 UTC |
| Greatest Eclipse | 1972 January 16 at 11:03:22.3 UTC |
| Last Umbral Internal Contact | 1972 January 16 at 11:38:09.6 UTC |
| Last Central Line | 1972 January 16 at 11:41:35.3 UTC |
| Last Umbral External Contact | 1972 January 16 at 11:44:45.6 UTC |
| Last Penumbral External Contact | 1972 January 16 at 13:20:54.1 UTC |
| Parameter | Value |
| Eclipse Magnitude | 0.96925 |
| Eclipse Obscuration | 0.93945 |
| Gamma | −0.93651 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 19h49m32.3s |
| Sun Declination | -21°03'34.9" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 16'15.5" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.9" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 19h50m37.0s |
| Moon Declination | -21°55'10.9" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 15'40.7" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 0°57'32.6" |
| ΔT | 42.3 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.| January 16 Ascending node | January 30 Descending node |
| Annular solar eclipse Solar Saros 121 | Total lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 133 |
Related eclipses
Eclipses in 1972
- An annular solar eclipse on January 16.
- A total lunar eclipse on January 30.
- A total solar eclipse on July 10.
- A partial lunar eclipse on July 26.
Metonic
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 28, 1968
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 3, 1975
Tzolkinex
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 4, 1964
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 26, 1979
Half-Saros
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 9, 1963
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 20, 1981
Tritos
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 15, 1961
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 15, 1982
Solar Saros 121
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 5, 1954
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 26, 1990
Inex
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 4, 1943
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 25, 2000
Triad
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 16, 1885
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 16, 2058
Solar eclipses of 1971–1974