Solar eclipse of January 3, 1946
A partial solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Thursday, January 3, 1946, with a magnitude of 0.5529. 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 partial solar eclipse occurs in the polar regions of the Earth when the center of the Moon's shadow misses the Earth.
This was the first of four partial solar eclipses in 1946, with the others occurring on May 30, June 29, and November 23.
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 | 1946 January 3 at 10:25:50.6 UTC |
| Greatest Eclipse | 1946 January 3 at 12:16:10.7 UTC |
| Equatorial Conjunction | 1946 January 3 at 12:16:37.9 UTC |
| Ecliptic Conjunction | 1946 January 3 at 12:30:05.5 UTC |
| Last Penumbral External Contact | 1946 January 3 at 14:06:25.7 UTC |
| Parameter | Value |
| Eclipse Magnitude | 0.55294 |
| Eclipse Obscuration | 0.43993 |
| Gamma | −1.23918 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 18h54m29.6s |
| Sun Declination | -22°51'18.5" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 16'15.9" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.9" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 18h54m28.6s |
| Moon Declination | -23°59'55.4" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 15'07.7" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 0°55'31.2" |
| ΔT | 27.3 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.| December 19 Ascending node | January 3 Descending node |
| Total lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 124 | Partial solar eclipse Solar Saros 150 |
Related eclipses
Eclipses in 1946
- A partial solar eclipse on January 3.
- A partial solar eclipse on May 30.
- A total lunar eclipse on June 14.
- A partial solar eclipse on June 29.
- A partial solar eclipse on November 23.
- A total lunar eclipse on December 8.
Metonic
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 16, 1942
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 21, 1949
Tzolkinex
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 21, 1938
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 14, 1953
Half-Saros
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 28, 1936
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 8, 1955
Tritos
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 3, 1935
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 2, 1956
Solar Saros 150
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 24, 1927
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 14, 1964
Inex
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 23, 1917
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 13, 1974
Triad
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 4, 1859
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 3, 2032
Solar eclipses of 1942–1946