Solar eclipse of June 8, 1956


A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit between Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9, 1956, with a magnitude of 1.0581. 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 1.3 days before perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
It began near sunrise over New Zealand on June 9, and ended west of South America on June 8. A partial eclipse was visible for most of Oceania.

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 Contact1956 June 8 at 19:11:21.5 UTC
First Umbral External Contact1956 June 8 at 20:31:34.6 UTC
First Central Line1956 June 8 at 20:34:31.6 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact1956 June 8 at 20:37:38.2 UTC
Greatest Eclipse1956 June 8 at 21:20:39.3 UTC
Greatest Duration1956 June 8 at 21:20:59.3 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction1956 June 8 at 21:21:17.5 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction1956 June 8 at 21:29:39.0 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact1956 June 8 at 22:03:38.5 UTC
Last Central Line1956 June 8 at 22:06:46.5 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact1956 June 8 at 22:09:44.9 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact1956 June 8 at 23:29:54.1 UTC

ParameterValue
Eclipse Magnitude1.05810
Eclipse Obscuration1.11958
Gamma−0.89341
Sun Right Ascension05h07m54.5s
Sun Declination+22°54'13.6"
Sun Semi-Diameter15'45.2"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.7"
Moon Right Ascension05h07m52.9s
Moon Declination+22°00'05.8"
Moon Semi-Diameter16'32.9"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax1°00'44.0"
ΔT31.5 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.
May 24
Ascending node 		June 8
Descending node
Partial lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 120		Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 146

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 1956

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 146

Inex

Triad