Solar eclipse of October 23, 1976


A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Saturday, October 23, 1976, with a magnitude of 1.0572. 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 9 hours before perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
This total solar eclipse began at sunrise in Tanzania near the border with Burundi, with the path of totality passing just north of the large Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam. It then crossed the Indian Ocean, passing St. Pierre Island, Providence Atoll and Farquhar Atoll of Seychelles before making landfall in southeastern Australia. The largest city that saw totality was Melbourne. After leaving the Australian mainland, the path of totality left the Earth's surface just north of the north island of New Zealand. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of East Africa, Indonesia, Australia, Antarctica, and western 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 Contact1976 October 23 at 02:39:17.5 UTC
First Umbral External Contact1976 October 23 at 03:35:21.3 UTC
First Central Line1976 October 23 at 03:36:28.9 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact1976 October 23 at 03:37:36.6 UTC
First Penumbral Internal Contact1976 October 23 at 04:39:57.2 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction1976 October 23 at 05:10:25.1 UTC
Greatest Eclipse1976 October 23 at 05:13:45.3 UTC
Greatest Duration1976 October 23 at 05:16:15.1 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction1976 October 23 at 05:22:43.8 UTC
Last Penumbral Internal Contact1976 October 23 at 05:47:19.5 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact1976 October 23 at 06:49:47.0 UTC
Last Central Line1976 October 23 at 06:50:55.2 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact1976 October 23 at 06:52:03.2 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact1976 October 23 at 07:48:08.1 UTC

ParameterValue
Eclipse Magnitude1.05716
Eclipse Obscuration1.11758
Gamma−0.32699
Sun Right Ascension13h51m21.8s
Sun Declination-11°26'48.5"
Sun Semi-Diameter16'04.7"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.8"
Moon Right Ascension13h51m00.8s
Moon Declination-11°46'09.2"
Moon Semi-Diameter16'43.4"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax1°01'22.6"
ΔT47.3 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.
October 23
Ascending node
November 6
Descending node
Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 133		Penumbral lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 145

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 1976

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 133

Inex

Triad