Solar eclipse of November 22, 1984


A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit between Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23, 1984, with a magnitude of 1.0237. 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 after perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Totality was visible in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and southern Pacific Ocean. West of the International Date Line the eclipse took place on November 23, including all land in the path of totality. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of Indonesia, Australia, Oceania, Antarctica, and extreme southern South America.

Observations

Jay Pasachoff led an observation team from Williams College in Massachusetts to Papua New Guinea, taking images of the process of the eclipse and the corona, as well as the Baily's beads and the illuminance of the corona. Besides the observations, the team members also went to places near the Sepik River in northern Papua New Guinea.

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 Contact1984 November 22 at 20:14:19.4 UTC
First Umbral External Contact1984 November 22 at 21:13:34.5 UTC
First Central Line1984 November 22 at 21:13:48.2 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact1984 November 22 at 21:14:01.9 UTC
First Penumbral Internal Contact1984 November 22 at 22:19:19.9 UTC
Greatest Eclipse1984 November 22 at 22:54:16.8 UTC
Greatest Duration1984 November 22 at 22:55:25.9 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction1984 November 22 at 22:57:34.7 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction1984 November 22 at 23:04:48.0 UTC
Last Penumbral Internal Contact1984 November 22 at 23:28:57.9 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact1984 November 23 at 00:34:27.7 UTC
Last Central Line1984 November 23 at 00:34:39.2 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact1984 November 23 at 00:34:50.7 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact1984 November 23 at 01:34:14.6 UTC

ParameterValue
Eclipse Magnitude1.02368
Eclipse Obscuration1.04792
Gamma−0.31318
Sun Right Ascension15h54m44.1s
Sun Declination-20°19'37.3"
Sun Semi-Diameter16'11.9"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.9"
Moon Right Ascension15h54m19.9s
Moon Declination-20°37'27.2"
Moon Semi-Diameter16'19.2"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax0°59'53.7"
ΔT54.3 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.
November 8
Ascending node
November 22
Descending node
Penumbral lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 116		Annular solar eclipse
Solar Saros 142

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 1984

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 142

Inex

Triad