Solar eclipse of October 12, 1996
A partial solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Saturday, October 12, 1996, with a magnitude of 0.7575. 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 partial solar eclipse occurs in the polar regions of the Earth when the center of the Moon's shadow misses the Earth.
A partial eclipse was visible for parts of eastern Canada, Greenland, Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
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.| Event | Time |
| First penumbral external contact | 1996 October 12 at 12:00:31.3 UTC |
| Equatorial conjunction | 1996 October 12 at 13:24:53.1 UTC |
| Greatest eclipse | 1996 October 12 at 14:03:04.1 UTC |
| Ecliptic conjunction | 1996 October 12 at 14:15:28.3 UTC |
| Last penumbral external contact | 1996 October 12 at 16:05:49.4 UTC |
| Parameter | Value |
| Eclipse magnitude | 0.75753 |
| Eclipse obscuration | 0.68285 |
| Gamma | 1.12265 |
| Sun right ascension | 13h12m04.5s |
| Sun declination | -07°38'15.5" |
| Sun semi-diameter | 16'01.7" |
| Sun equatorial horizontal parallax | 08.8" |
| Moon right ascension | 13h13m17.1s |
| Moon declination | -06°38'00.7" |
| Moon semi-diameter | 15'18.1" |
| Moon equatorial horizontal parallax | 0°56'09.5" |
| ΔT | 62.1 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.| September 27 Descending node | October 12 Ascending node |
| Total lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 127 | Partial solar eclipse Solar Saros 153 |
Related eclipses
Eclipses in 1996
- A total lunar eclipse on April 4
- A partial solar eclipse on April 17
- A total lunar eclipse on September 27
- '''A partial solar eclipse on October 12'''
Metonic
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 24, 1992
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of July 31, 2000
Tzolkinex
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 31, 1989
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 23, 2003
Half-Saros
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 7, 1987
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 17, 2005
Tritos
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 12, 1985
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 11, 2007
Solar Saros 153
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of October 2, 1978
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 23, 2014
Inex
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 2, 1967
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 21, 2025
Triad
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 12, 1909
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of August 13, 2083