Solar eclipse of January 3, 1908


A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit between Friday, January 3 and Saturday, January 4, 1908, with a magnitude of 1.0437. 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 14 hours before perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Totality was visible from Ebon Atoll in German New Guinea, British Western Pacific Territories, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands on January 4, and Costa Rica on January 3. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of northern Oceania, Hawaii, southern North America, Central America, the western Caribbean, and western South America.

Observations

The eclipse was observed by astronomer William Wallace Campbell of Lick Observatory, viewed from Flint Island, Kiribati, an uninhabited island in the Line Islands. The team of Lick Observatory departed from San Francisco on November 22, 1907, and arrived in Papeete, Tahiti Island, the capital of French Polynesia on December 4. After making preparations of supplies and logistics personnel, it departed again on the evening of December 7 and arrived at Flint Island on the afternoon of 9 December.
Astronomers from the Royal Astronomical Society, Sydney Observatory and a party from Australia and New Zealand which included Francis McClean and Henry Winkelmann also observed the total eclipse near the observation site of Lick Observatory. The team successfully took images of the corona.

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 Contact1908 January 3 at 19:07:37.2 UTC
First Umbral External Contact1908 January 3 at 20:03:19.2 UTC
First Central Line1908 January 3 at 20:04:02.0 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact1908 January 3 at 20:04:44.8 UTC
First Penumbral Internal Contact1908 January 3 at 21:02:14.0 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction1908 January 3 at 21:43:22.3 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction1908 January 3 at 21:45:11.7 UTC
Greatest Eclipse1908 January 3 at 21:45:21.4 UTC
Greatest Duration1908 January 3 at 21:45:57.9 UTC
Last Penumbral Internal Contact1908 January 3 at 22:28:29.5 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact1908 January 3 at 23:25:57.2 UTC
Last Central Line1908 January 3 at 23:26:40.8 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact1908 January 3 at 23:27:24.4 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact1908 January 4 at 00:23:04.0 UTC

ParameterValue
Eclipse Magnitude1.04375
Eclipse Obscuration1.08941
Gamma0.19334
Sun Right Ascension18h52m47.6s
Sun Declination-22°53'44.4"
Sun Semi-Diameter16'16.0"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.9"
Moon Right Ascension18h52m48.0s
Moon Declination-22°41'55.4"
Moon Semi-Diameter16'41.7"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax1°01'16.1"
ΔT7.7 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 3
Descending node 		January 18
Ascending node
Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 130		Penumbral lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 142

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 1908

A total solar eclipse on January 3.

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 130

Inex

Triad