Solar eclipse of June 11, 1983


A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Saturday, June 11, 1983, with a magnitude of 1.0524. 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 2.1 days before perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
The path of totality went through Christmas Island, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and terminated in Vanuatu. The maximum eclipse occurred off the Indonesian island of Madura. Major Indonesian cities witnessed totality, including Yogyakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, and Makassar, in addition to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of Madagascar, Southeast Asia, Australia, and western Oceania.

Restrictions of observation

To avoid blindness, Indonesian dictator president Suharto prohibited local people from observing the eclipse directly through then Information Minister Harmoko, only allowing foreigners to observe from faraway places. Besides the requirements of closing and draping over all windows and airshafts, children were asked to hide themselves in cupboards and below desks as the eclipsing sun's rays were said to be more dangerous to children than to adults. They were allowed to watch a live broadcast of the eclipse occurring over Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java, on state-owned TV channel TVRI. Because of the difference in restriction's intensity between regions, some locals did observe it.

Observation

The Chinese Eclipse Observation Team formed by Beijing Astronomical Observatory, Purple Mountain Observatory and Nanjing Astronomical Instrument Factory conducted observation in Port Moresby. Observation in Port Moresby was successful due to the cloudless weather during the eclipse, compared with the cloudy weather in Yogyakarta where teams from many countries went. The Chinese team did spectrum observations of the chromosphere and corona, the broadband corona luminosity and polarization, and the coloured photography of the whole eclipse process.

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 Contact1983 June 11 at 02:10:25.6 UTC
First Umbral External Contact1983 June 11 at 03:11:02.4 UTC
First Central Line1983 June 11 at 03:12:11.5 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact1983 June 11 at 03:13:20.8 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction1983 June 11 at 04:34:18.1 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction1983 June 11 at 04:38:24.4 UTC
Greatest Eclipse1983 June 11 at 04:43:33.5 UTC
Greatest Duration1983 June 11 at 04:47:29.5 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact1983 June 11 at 06:13:50.0 UTC
Last Central Line1983 June 11 at 06:15:01.3 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact1983 June 11 at 06:16:12.4 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact1983 June 11 at 07:16:41.1 UTC

ParameterValue
Eclipse Magnitude1.05240
Eclipse Obscuration1.10755
Gamma−0.49475
Sun Right Ascension05h15m15.1s
Sun Declination+23°02'34.8"
Sun Semi-Diameter15'45.1"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.7"
Moon Right Ascension05h15m37.5s
Moon Declination+22°33'26.4"
Moon Semi-Diameter16'20.3"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax0°59'57.8"
ΔT53.3 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.
June 11
Ascending node
June 25
Descending node
Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 127		Partial lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 139

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 1983

A total solar eclipse on June 11.

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 127

Inex

Triad