Solar eclipse of January 4, 1973


An annular solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Thursday, January 4, 1973, with a magnitude of 0.9303. 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 3.75 days after apogee, the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
Annularity was visible from Chile and Argentina. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of southern and central South America, Antarctica, West Africa, and Southern Africa.

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 Contact1973 January 4 at 12:44:40.6 UTC
First Umbral External Contact1973 January 4 at 13:50:14.3 UTC
First Central Line1973 January 4 at 13:53:17.7 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact1973 January 4 at 13:56:21.3 UTC
First Penumbral Internal Contact1973 January 4 at 15:07:01.4 UTC
Greatest Duration1973 January 4 at 15:35:51.4 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction1973 January 4 at 15:39:50.9 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction1973 January 4 at 15:43:12.3 UTC
Greatest Eclipse1973 January 4 at 15:46:20.7 UTC
Last Penumbral Internal Contact1973 January 4 at 16:25:50.8 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact1973 January 4 at 17:36:25.9 UTC
Last Central Line1973 January 4 at 17:39:27.4 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact1973 January 4 at 17:42:28.4 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact1973 January 4 at 18:47:58.6 UTC

ParameterValue
Eclipse Magnitude0.93032
Eclipse Obscuration0.86549
Gamma−0.26441
Sun Right Ascension19h01m31.4s
Sun Declination-22°41'24.6"
Sun Semi-Diameter16'15.9"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.9"
Moon Right Ascension19h01m44.3s
Moon Declination-22°55'32.0"
Moon Semi-Diameter14'54.7"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax0°54'43.6"
ΔT43.4 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 4
Ascending node
January 18
Descending node
Annular solar eclipse
Solar Saros 131		Penumbral lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 143

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 1973

An annular solar eclipse on January 4.

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 131

Inex

Triad