Solar eclipse of May 20, 1947


A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Tuesday, May 20, 1947, with a magnitude of 1.0557. 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 1.8 days before perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Totality was visible from Chile including the capital city Santiago, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Liberia, French West Africa, British Gold Coast including capital Accra, French Togoland including capital Lomé, British Nigeria including capital Lagos, French Cameroons, French Equatorial Africa, Belgian Congo, British Uganda, British Tanganyika, and British Kenya. The southern part of Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside Asia, and Iguazu Falls, one of the largest waterfalls systems in the world, lay in the path of totality. A partial eclipse was visible for most of South America and Africa.

Observations

The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada sent a team to Araxa, Brazil. On the morning of the eclipse day, the sky was covered with clouds. Although a slight part of sunlight was seen through the gaps in the clouds around the first contact, the weather did not improve after that. The eclipse ended at noon, and the sky began to clear up in the afternoon. The team documented changes in winds and luminance of the sky. Australian radio astronomers originally planned to go to Brazil to make radio observations to promote the development of radio astronomy in Australia. However, the shipping of the equipments could only be made via London at that time, and it was not made before the eclipse in the end, so the plan was not successful. Another team from the Soviet Union successfully made radio observations in Brazil.

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 Contact1947 May 20 at 11:11:14.5 UTC
First Umbral External Contact1947 May 20 at 12:08:46.7 UTC
First Central Line1947 May 20 at 12:09:53.9 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact1947 May 20 at 12:11:01.1 UTC
First Penumbral Internal Contact1947 May 20 at 13:16:38.2 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction1947 May 20 at 13:35:31.5 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction1947 May 20 at 13:44:07.5 UTC
Greatest Eclipse1947 May 20 at 13:47:47.0 UTC
Greatest Duration1947 May 20 at 13:54:23.9 UTC
Last Penumbral Internal Contact1947 May 20 at 14:19:13.8 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact1947 May 20 at 15:24:38.7 UTC
Last Central Line1947 May 20 at 15:25:47.7 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact1947 May 20 at 15:26:56.7 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact1947 May 20 at 16:24:20.8 UTC

ParameterValue
Eclipse Magnitude1.05567
Eclipse Obscuration1.11445
Gamma−0.35279
Sun Right Ascension03h45m52.5s
Sun Declination+19°52'36.9"
Sun Semi-Diameter15'48.2"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.7"
Moon Right Ascension03h46m20.8s
Moon Declination+19°32'28.8"
Moon Semi-Diameter16'25.3"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax1°00'16.3"
ΔT28.0 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 20
Ascending node 		June 3
Descending node
Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 127		Partial lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 139

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 1947

A total solar eclipse on May 20.

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 127

Inex

Triad