Solar eclipse of January 25, 1944


A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Tuesday, January 25, 1944, with a magnitude of 1.0428. 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 20 hours before perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Totality was visible from Peru, Brazil, British Sierra Leone, and French West Africa. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of southern North America, Central America, the Caribbean, South America, Western Europe, West Africa, and Central Africa.

Observations

The National Astronomical Observatory in Tacubaya, Mexico sent a team to Chiclayo, Peru. The weather was clear during the eclipse, and because totality occurred shortly after sunrise with a relatively low solar zenith angle, the boundary between the corona and the background of the sky was not so obvious. Most images were taken successfully except for one with the long focus camera.

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 Contact1944 January 25 at 12:48:43.4 UTC
First Umbral External Contact1944 January 25 at 13:44:39.3 UTC
First Central Line1944 January 25 at 13:45:20.7 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact1944 January 25 at 13:46:02.2 UTC
First Penumbral Internal Contact1944 January 25 at 14:43:56.2 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction1944 January 25 at 15:24:37.3 UTC
Greatest Duration1944 January 25 at 15:25:00.3 UTC
Greatest Eclipse1944 January 25 at 15:26:42.2 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction1944 January 25 at 15:29:42.0 UTC
Last Penumbral Internal Contact1944 January 25 at 16:09:24.1 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact1944 January 25 at 17:07:18.8 UTC
Last Central Line1944 January 25 at 17:08:01.3 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact1944 January 25 at 17:08:43.9 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact1944 January 25 at 18:04:37.4 UTC

ParameterValue
Eclipse Magnitude1.04282
Eclipse Obscuration1.08747
Gamma0.20246
Sun Right Ascension20h27m33.6s
Sun Declination-19°07'44.1"
Sun Semi-Diameter16'14.7"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.9"
Moon Right Ascension20h27m26.2s
Moon Declination-18°55'30.7"
Moon Semi-Diameter16'39.5"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax1°01'08.4"
ΔT26.3 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 25
Descending node 		February 9
Ascending node
Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 130		Penumbral lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 142

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 1944

A total solar eclipse on January 25.

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 130

Inex

Triad