Solar eclipse of December 24, 1973

Last updated
Solar eclipse of December 24, 1973
Annular eclipse
SE1973Dec24A.png
Map
Gamma 0.4171
Magnitude 0.9174
Maximum eclipse
Duration722 s (12 min 2 s)
Coordinates 1°06′N48°30′W / 1.1°N 48.5°W / 1.1; -48.5
Max. width of band345 km (214 mi)
Times (UTC)
Greatest eclipse15:02:44
References
Saros 141 (21 of 70)
Catalog # (SE5000) 9451

An annular solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Monday, December 24, 1973, [1] with a magnitude of 0.9174. 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. Occurring about 1.25 days before apogee (on December 25, 1973, at 21:30 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller. [2]

Contents

The duration of annularity at maximum eclipse (closest to but slightly shorter than the longest duration) was 12 minutes, 2.37 seconds in the Atlantic Ocean near the Brazilian coast. It was the longest annular solar eclipse until January 14, 3080, but the Solar eclipse of December 14, 1955 lasted longer. [3]

Annularity was visible from southern Mexico, southwestern Nicaragua, Costa Rica including the capital city San José, Panama, Colombia including the capital city Bogotá, southern Venezuela, Brazil, southern Guyana, southern Dutch Guiana (today's Suriname), southern French Guiana, Portuguese Cape Verde (today's Cape Verde) including the capital city Praia, Mauritania including the capital city Nouakchott, Spanish Sahara (today's Western Sahara), Mali, and Algeria. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of eastern North America, Central America, the Caribbean, northern and central South America, Western Europe, and West Africa.

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. [4]

December 24, 1973 Solar Eclipse Times
EventTime (UTC)
First Penumbral External Contact1973 December 24 at 12:01:48.2 UTC
First Umbral External Contact1973 December 24 at 13:10:43.7 UTC
First Central Line1973 December 24 at 13:14:29.7 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact1973 December 24 at 13:18:17.1 UTC
First Penumbral Internal Contact1973 December 24 at 14:54:55.3 UTC
Greatest Duration1973 December 24 at 14:57:39.1 UTC
Greatest Eclipse1973 December 24 at 15:02:43.5 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction1973 December 24 at 15:07:45.5 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction1973 December 24 at 15:08:46.6 UTC
Last Penumbral Internal Contact1973 December 24 at 15:10:21.8 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact1973 December 24 at 16:47:05.3 UTC
Last Central Line1973 December 24 at 16:50:53.5 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact1973 December 24 at 16:54:40.4 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact1973 December 24 at 18:03:38.0 UTC
December 24, 1973 Solar Eclipse Parameters
ParameterValue
Eclipse Magnitude0.91745
Eclipse Obscuration0.84171
Gamma0.41710
Sun Right Ascension18h11m38.6s
Sun Declination-23°24'56.0"
Sun Semi-Diameter16'15.7"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.9"
Moon Right Ascension18h11m26.8s
Moon Declination-23°02'37.9"
Moon Semi-Diameter14'43.0"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax0°54'00.7"
ΔT44.5 s

Eclipse season

This eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two (or occasionally three) eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months (173 days) 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.

Eclipse season of December 1973
December 10
Descending node (full moon)
December 24
Ascending node (new moon)
Lunar eclipse chart close-1973Dec10.png SE1973Dec24A.png
Partial lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 115
Annular solar eclipse
Solar Saros 141

Eclipses in 1973

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 141

Inex

Triad

Solar eclipses of 1971–1974

This eclipse is a member of a semester series. An eclipse in a semester series of solar eclipses repeats approximately every 177 days and 4 hours (a semester) at alternating nodes of the Moon's orbit. [5]

The partial solar eclipses on February 25, 1971 and August 20, 1971 occur in the previous lunar year eclipse set.

Solar eclipse series sets from 1971 to 1974
Descending node Ascending node
SarosMapGammaSarosMapGamma
116 July 22, 1971
SE1971Jul22P.png
Partial
1.513121 January 16, 1972
SE1972Jan16A.png
Annular
−0.9365
126 July 10, 1972
SE1972Jul10T.png
Total
0.6872131 January 4, 1973
SE1973Jan04A.png
Annular
−0.2644
136 June 30, 1973
SE1973Jun30T.png
Total
−0.0785141 December 24, 1973
SE1973Dec24A.png
Annular
0.4171
146 June 20, 1974
SE1974Jun20T.png
Total
−0.8239151 December 13, 1974
SE1974Dec13P.png
Partial
1.0797

Saros 141

This eclipse is a part of Saros series 141, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, and containing 70 events. The series started with a partial solar eclipse on May 19, 1613. It contains annular eclipses from August 4, 1739 through October 14, 2640. There are no hybrid or total eclipses in this set. The series ends at member 70 as a partial eclipse on June 13, 2857. Its eclipses are tabulated in three columns; every third eclipse in the same column is one exeligmos apart, so they all cast shadows over approximately the same parts of the Earth.

The longest duration of annularity was produced by member 20 at 12 minutes, 9 seconds on December 14, 1955. All eclipses in this series occur at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit. [6]

Series members 12–33 occur between 1801 and 2200:
121314
SE1811Sep17A.png
September 17, 1811
SE1829Sep28A.png
September 28, 1829
SE1847Oct09A.png
October 9, 1847
151617
SE1865Oct19A.png
October 19, 1865
SE1883Oct30A.png
October 30, 1883
SE1901Nov11A.png
November 11, 1901
181920
SE1919Nov22A.png
November 22, 1919
SE1937Dec02A.png
December 2, 1937
SE1955Dec14A.png
December 14, 1955
212223
SE1973Dec24A.png
December 24, 1973
SE1992Jan04A.png
January 4, 1992
SE2010Jan15A.png
January 15, 2010
242526
SE2028Jan26A.png
January 26, 2028
SE2046Feb05A.png
February 5, 2046
SE2064Feb17A.png
February 17, 2064
272829
SE2082Feb27A.png
February 27, 2082
SE2100Mar10A.png
March 10, 2100
SE2118Mar22A.png
March 22, 2118
303132
SE2136Apr01A.png
April 1, 2136
SE2154Apr12A.png
April 12, 2154
SE2172Apr23A.png
April 23, 2172
33
SE2190May04A.png
May 4, 2190

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 12July 31–August 1May 19–20March 7
111113115117119
SE1916Dec24P.png
December 24, 1916
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
151153155
SE1992Dec24P.png
December 24, 1992
SE1996Oct12P.png
October 12, 1996
SE2000Jul31P.png
July 31, 2000

Tritos series

This eclipse is a part of a tritos cycle, repeating at alternating nodes every 135 synodic months (≈ 3986.63 days, or 11 years minus 1 month). Their appearance and longitude are irregular due to a lack of synchronization with the anomalistic month (period of perigee), but groupings of 3 tritos cycles (≈ 33 years minus 3 months) come close (≈ 434.044 anomalistic months), so eclipses are similar in these groupings.

Series members between 1801 and 2200
SE1810Apr04A.gif
April 4, 1810
(Saros 126)
SE1821Mar04T.gif
March 4, 1821
(Saros 127)
SE1832Feb01A.gif
February 1, 1832
(Saros 128)
SE1842Dec31A.gif
December 31, 1842
(Saros 129)
SE1853Nov30T.png
November 30, 1853
(Saros 130)
SE1864Oct30A.gif
October 30, 1864
(Saros 131)
SE1875Sep29A.gif
September 29, 1875
(Saros 132)
SE1886Aug29T.png
August 29, 1886
(Saros 133)
SE1897Jul29A.gif
July 29, 1897
(Saros 134)
SE1908Jun28A.png
June 28, 1908
(Saros 135)
SE1919May29T.png
May 29, 1919
(Saros 136)
SE1930Apr28H.png
April 28, 1930
(Saros 137)
SE1941Mar27A.png
March 27, 1941
(Saros 138)
SE1952Feb25T.png
February 25, 1952
(Saros 139)
SE1963Jan25A.png
January 25, 1963
(Saros 140)
SE1973Dec24A.png
December 24, 1973
(Saros 141)
SE1984Nov22T.png
November 22, 1984
(Saros 142)
SE1995Oct24T.png
October 24, 1995
(Saros 143)
SE2006Sep22A.png
September 22, 2006
(Saros 144)
SE2017Aug21T.png
August 21, 2017
(Saros 145)
SE2028Jul22T.png
July 22, 2028
(Saros 146)
SE2039Jun21A.png
June 21, 2039
(Saros 147)
SE2050May20H.png
May 20, 2050
(Saros 148)
SE2061Apr20T.png
April 20, 2061
(Saros 149)
SE2072Mar19P.png
March 19, 2072
(Saros 150)
SE2083Feb16P.png
February 16, 2083
(Saros 151)
SE2094Jan16T.png
January 16, 2094
(Saros 152)
Saros153 14van70 SE2104Dec17A.jpg
December 17, 2104
(Saros 153)
SE2115Nov16A.png
November 16, 2115
(Saros 154)
SE2126Oct16T.png
October 16, 2126
(Saros 155)
Saros156 08van69 SE2137Sep15P.jpg
September 15, 2137
(Saros 156)
Saros157 06van70 SE2148Aug14P.jpg
August 14, 2148
(Saros 157)
Saros158 06van70 SE2159Jul15P.jpg
July 15, 2159
(Saros 158)
Saros159 03van70 SE2170Jun14P.jpg
June 14, 2170
(Saros 159)
Saros160 01van71 SE2181May13P.jpg
May 13, 2181
(Saros 160)
Saros161 02van72 SE2192Apr12P.jpg
April 12, 2192
(Saros 161)

Inex series

This eclipse is a part of the long period inex cycle, repeating at alternating nodes, every 358 synodic months (≈ 10,571.95 days, or 29 years minus 20 days). Their appearance and longitude are irregular due to a lack of synchronization with the anomalistic month (period of perigee). However, groupings of 3 inex cycles (≈ 87 years minus 2 months) comes close (≈ 1,151.02 anomalistic months), so eclipses are similar in these groupings.

Series members between 1801 and 2200
SE1829Apr03T.gif
April 3, 1829
(Saros 136)
SE1858Mar15A.gif
March 15, 1858
(Saros 137)
SE1887Feb22A.png
February 22, 1887
(Saros 138)
SE1916Feb03T.png
February 3, 1916
(Saros 139)
SE1945Jan14A.png
January 14, 1945
(Saros 140)
SE1973Dec24A.png
December 24, 1973
(Saros 141)
SE2002Dec04T.png
December 4, 2002
(Saros 142)
SE2031Nov14H.png
November 14, 2031
(Saros 143)
SE2060Oct24A.png
October 24, 2060
(Saros 144)
SE2089Oct04T.png
October 4, 2089
(Saros 145)
SE2118Sep15T.png
September 15, 2118
(Saros 146)
Saros147 30van80 SE2147Aug26A.jpg
August 26, 2147
(Saros 147)
Saros148 30van75 SE2176Aug04T.jpg
August 4, 2176
(Saros 148)

Notes

  1. "December 24, 1973 Annular Solar Eclipse". timeanddate. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  2. "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  3. "Annular Solar Eclipses with Durations Exceeding 11m 00s: -3999 to 6000". NASA Eclipse Web Site.
  4. "Annular Solar Eclipse of 1973 Dec 24". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  5. van Gent, R.H. "Solar- and Lunar-Eclipse Predictions from Antiquity to the Present". A Catalogue of Eclipse Cycles. Utrecht University. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  6. "NASA - Catalog of Solar Eclipses of Saros 141". eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov.

References