Solar eclipse of February 26, 1979

Last updated
Solar eclipse of February 26, 1979
1979 Solar eclipse, Brandon Manitoba Canada (35907221663).jpg
Totality as seen from Brandon, Manitoba
SE1979Feb26T.png
Map
Type of eclipse
NatureTotal
Gamma 0.8981
Magnitude 1.0391
Maximum eclipse
Duration169 s (2 min 49 s)
Coordinates 52°06′N94°30′W / 52.1°N 94.5°W / 52.1; -94.5
Max. width of band298 km (185 mi)
Times (UTC)
Greatest eclipse16:55:06
References
Saros 120 (59 of 71)
Catalog # (SE5000) 9462

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of the orbit in North America on February 26, 1979.

Contents

A solar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon that 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 only 18 hours and 35 minutes after perigee (Perigee on February 25, 1979, at 22:19 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.

The central shadow of the Moon passed through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana (where totality covered almost the entire state), North Dakota, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, the Northwest Territories of Canada (the portion that is now Nunavut), and Greenland.

Visibility

Animation of eclipse path Solar eclipse animate (1979-Feb-26).gif
Animation of eclipse path

United States

Many visitors traveled to the Pacific Northwest to view the Monday morning eclipse, [1] as it was the last chance to view a total solar eclipse in the contiguous United States for 38 years, 5 months, 26 days. The next opportunity was on August 21, 2017. [2] Several cities, including Lewiston, Idaho, and Goldendale, Washington, organized viewing events amid an expected bump in tourist traffic. [2] Television station KING-TV of Seattle produced a live broadcast of the eclipse from Goldendale and other cities in the Northwest. [3]

Although the path of totality passed through Portland shortly after sunrise (maximum at 8:14 am PST), [2] it was not directly observable due to overcast skies in northwestern Oregon. [4] [5] At the Goldendale Observatory State Park in Washington, an estimated 10,000 people were able to view the eclipse after the overcast skies parted during totality. [6] [7] Over 1,000 aircraft were guided around the path of totality by local air traffic control offices; the volume of flights in the area caused delays to passenger service at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport and Portland International Airport. [8] [9] The Seattle-based Pacific Science Center chartered a Boeing 727 with 94 passengers to chase the eclipse. [10]

Canada

About a half hour later, the path of totality was in Manitoba and passed through cloudless Winnipeg in the late morning, maximum was at 10:48 am CST. [11] The greatest eclipse occurred seven minutes later at 10:55 am CST.

Canada's next total solar eclipse took place on August 1, 2008, after which Canada did not see another total solar eclipse until April 8, 2024. [12]

Observations

Portland, Oregon was the largest city within the path of totality. However, the thick clouds made observation unsuccessful. Only some areas outside the city could see the sun through the holes in the clouds. There were also charter flights allowing passengers to observe from the air [13] . Clouds covered most areas of the states of Oregon and Washington, and there were some clouds in western Montana. Observations were successful in places including North Dakota [14] [15] . Jay Pasachoff led a team from Williams College in Massachusetts to Brandon University in Manitoba, Canada and successfully observed the total eclipse there [16] .

In literature

Writer Annie Dillard viewed the eclipse from the Yakima River Valley in central Washington state. She described her impressions of the eclipse in an essay, "Total Eclipse," first published in the magazine Antaeus and then in her collection, Teaching a Stone to Talk (1982). It was later selected for inclusion in The Best American Essays of the [20th] Century (2000). [17] Dillard describes a nearly overwhelming emotional experience, as suggested in this quotation: "I pray you will never see anything more awful in the sky." Describing the reactions of other onlookers, she relates "I heard screams."

The 1979 eclipse was also referenced in the opening pages of Douglas Coupland's novel, Generation X.

A partial lunar eclipse occurred on March 13, 1979, 15 days later, visible over Africa, Europe and Asia. 177 days later after the total solar eclipse of February 26, 1979, occurred an annular solar eclipse on August 22, 1979. A total lunar eclipse followed on September 6, 1979. 355 days after the total solar eclipse of February 26, 1979, occurred a total solar eclipse on February 16, 1980.

Eclipses in 1979

The eclipse is a member of a semester series of solar eclipses that repeat approximately every 177 days and 4 hours (a semester) at alternating nodes of the Moon's orbit. [18]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Eclipse chased across Northwest". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. New York Times. February 27, 1979. p. 1A.
  2. 1 2 3 "Total Eclipse". The Spokesman-Review . February 25, 1979. p. 6.
  3. ↑ Nast, Stan (February 26, 1979). "The Big Eclipse Cover-up". Seattle Post-Intelligencer . p. 1.
  4. ↑ "Thick clouds hide eclipse from many". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. February 26, 1979. p. 1A.
  5. ↑ "Sun gives a wink to Northwest U.S." Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. February 26, 1979. p. 1.
  6. ↑ Hahn, Jon (February 27, 1979). "Goldendale's Heavens Opened For a Totaling Experience". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. A1.
  7. ↑ Richards, Leverett (February 27, 1979). "Moon devours sun above overcast NW". The Oregonian . p. A1.
  8. ↑ Crick, Rolla J. (February 26, 1979). "Sun watchers crowd skies". The Oregon Journal . p. 9.
  9. ↑ "Skies in path of eclipse aswarm with aircraft". The Seattle Times. February 26, 1979. p. A14.
  10. ↑ Connolly, Patrick (February 26, 1979). "Eclipse viewers aboard 727 play musical chairs". The Seattle Times. p. A14.
  11. ↑ Van, Jon (February 27, 1979). "Eclipse turns morning to night at 10:48 am". Chicago Tribune. p. 2, sec. 1.
  12. ↑ Dickinson, Terence (August 3, 2017). "Canada's last solar eclipse in 1979". Maclean's. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Thick clouds hide eclipse from many". The Register-Guard . 26 February 1979. p. 1. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020.
  14. ↑ "Tracking Our Last Eclipse of the Century" (PDF). Life : 110–118. April 1979. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 March 2016.
  15. ↑ "Eclipse Chased Across Northwest". The Daytona Beach News-Journal . 27 February 1979. p. 1.
  16. ↑ "1979, Manitoba, Canada". Williams College. Archived from the original on 4 August 2020.
  17. ↑ Atwan, Robert (2001-10-10). Oates, Joyce Carol (ed.). The Best American Essays of the Century (Reprint ed.). Mariner Books. ISBN   9780618155873.
  18. ↑ van Gent, R.H. "Solar- and Lunar-Eclipse Predictions from Antiquity to the Present". A Catalogue of Eclipse Cycles. Utrecht University. Archived from the original on September 7, 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2018.

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References

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