Solar eclipse of May 20, 1966

Last updated
Solar eclipse of May 20, 1966
SE1966May20A.png
Map
Type of eclipse
NatureAnnular
Gamma 0.3467
Magnitude 0.9991
Maximum eclipse
Duration5 s (0 min 5 s)
Coordinates 39°12′N26°24′E / 39.2°N 26.4°E / 39.2; 26.4
Max. width of band3 km (1.9 mi)
Times (UTC)
Greatest eclipse9:39:02
References
Saros 137 (33 of 70)
Catalog # (SE5000) 9434

An annular solar eclipse occurred on May 20, 1966. 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. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun's, blocking most of the Sun's light and causing the Sun to look like an annulus (ring). An annular eclipse appears as a partial eclipse over a region of the Earth thousands of kilometres wide. Annularity was visible from Guinea (including the capital city Conakry), Mali, Algeria, Libya, Greece, Turkey, the Soviet Union (today's Russia and Kazakhstan) and China. The Sun's altitude was 70°.

Contents

Observations

During this eclipse, the apex of the moon's umbral cone was very close to the Earth's surface, and the magnitude was very large. The edges of the moon and the sun were very close to each other as seen from the Earth. Baily's beads on the lunar limb, which are usually only visible during a total solar eclipse, could also be seen. Therefore this eclipse was also an excellent opportunity to measure the size and shape of the Earth, as well as the mountains and valleys on the lunar limb. Many scientists observed the annular eclipse in Greece and Turkey, which are close to the location of maximum eclipse and have better observation conditions. The observation sites in Greece were mainly concentrated in Saronida and Anavyssos south of Athens, while those in Turkey were mainly concentrated in Ayvalik, across the sea facing the Greek island Lesbos [1] .

Similar to the Baily's beads, the corona is generally only visible in a total solar eclipse. Because the magnitude of this annular eclipse was close to 1, some predicted that the corona would be visible. An observation team went to Lesbos Island but only saw the Baily's beads, not the corona [2] .

Prior to it, the two hybrid solar eclipses of April 17, 1912 and April 28, 1930, and another annular solar eclipse of May 9, 1948 also belonging to Solar Saros 137, also occurred with a magnitude close to 1. Observations were made near Paris in France, Camptonville, California and Rebun Island in Japan respectively [1] .

Solar eclipses of 1964–1967

This eclipse is a member of a 1964–1967 series at alternating nodes every 6 synodic months.

Note: Partial solar eclipses on January 14, 1964 and July 9, 1964 belong to the previous lunar year set.

Solar eclipse series sets from 1964 to 1967
Ascending node Descending node
SarosMapGammaSarosMapGamma
117 SE1964Jun10P.png
1964 June 10
Partial
−1.13926122 SE1964Dec04P.png
1964 December 04
Partial
1.11929
127 SE1965May30T.png
1965 May 30
Total
−0.42251132 SE1965Nov23A.png
1965 November 23
Annular
0.39061
137 SE1966May20A.png
1966 May 20
Annular
0.34672142 SE1966Nov12T.png
1966 November 12
Total
−0.33001
147 SE1967May09P.png
1967 May 09
Partial
1.14218152 SE1967Nov02T.png
1967 November 02
Total (non-central)
−1.00067

Saros 137

It is a part of Saros cycle 137, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, containing 70 events. The series started with partial solar eclipse on May 25, 1389. It contains total eclipses from August 20, 1533 through December 6, 1695, first set of hybrid eclipses from December 17, 1713 through February 11, 1804, first set of annular eclipses from February 21, 1822 through March 25, 1876, second set of hybrid eclipses from April 6, 1894 through April 28, 1930, and second set of annular eclipses from May 9, 1948 through April 13, 2507. The series ends at member 70 as a partial eclipse on June 28, 2633. The longest duration of totality was 2 minutes, 55 seconds on September 10, 1569. Solar Saros 137 has 55 umbral eclipses from August 20, 1533 through April 13, 2507 (973.62 years).

Metonic series

The metonic series repeats eclipses every 19 years (6939.69 days), lasting about 5 cycles. Eclipses occur in nearly the same calendar date. In addition, the octon subseries repeats 1/5 of that or every 3.8 years (1387.94 days). All eclipses in this table occur at the Moon's ascending node.

22 eclipse events between December 24, 1916 and July 31, 2000
December 24–25October 12–13July 31-Aug 1May 18–20March 7–8
9193959799
December 23, 1878October 12, 1882July 31, 1886May 18, 1890March 7, 1894
101103105107109
December 23, 1897October 12, 1901August 1, 1905May 19, 1909March 8, 1913
111113115117119
SE1916Dec24P.png
December 24, 1916
October 12, 1920 SE1924Jul31P.png
July 31, 1924
SE1928May19T.png
May 19, 1928
SE1932Mar07A.png
March 7, 1932
121123125127129
SE1935Dec25A.png
December 25, 1935
SE1939Oct12T.png
October 12, 1939
SE1943Aug01A.png
August 1, 1943
SE1947May20T.png
May 20, 1947
SE1951Mar07A.png
March 7, 1951
131133135137139
SE1954Dec25A.png
December 25, 1954
SE1958Oct12T.png
October 12, 1958
SE1962Jul31A.png
July 31, 1962
SE1966May20A.png
May 20, 1966
SE1970Mar07T.png
March 7, 1970
141143145147149
SE1973Dec24A.png
December 24, 1973
SE1977Oct12T.png
October 12, 1977
SE1981Jul31T.png
July 31, 1981
SE1985May19P.png
May 19, 1985
SE1989Mar07P.png
March 7, 1989
151153155157159
SE1992Dec24P.png
December 24, 1992
SE1996Oct12P.png
October 12, 1996
SE2000Jul31P.png
July 31, 2000
May 19, 2004March 7, 2008
161163165167169
December 24, 2011October 13, 2015August 1, 2019May 19, 2023March 8, 2027

Notes

  1. 1 2 Xavier M. Jubier. "Eclipse annulaire de Soleil du 20 mai 1966 depuis la Grèce ou la Turquie (Annular Solar Eclipse of 1966 May 20 in Greece or Turkey)". Archived from the original on 22 January 2020.
  2. Hunt, H. C. (May 1966). "Solar eclipse report 1966 May 20" (PDF). The Astronomer. 3: B11–B12.

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References