Solar eclipse of February 7, 2008

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Solar eclipse of February 7, 2008
Solar eclipse 2008Feb07-New Zealand-partial-Greg Hewgill.png
SE2008Feb07A.png
Map
Type of eclipse
NatureAnnular
Gamma -0.957
Magnitude 0.965
Maximum eclipse
Duration132 sec (2 m 12 s)
Coordinates 67°36′S150°30′W / 67.6°S 150.5°W / -67.6; -150.5
Max. width of band444 km (276 mi)
Times (UTC)
Greatest eclipse3:56:10
References
Saros 121 (60 of 71)
Catalog # (SE5000) 9525

An annular solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of the orbit on February 7, 2008. 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.

Contents

The moon's apparent diameter was 1 arcminute, 17.8 arcseconds (77.8 arcseconds) smaller than the August 1, 2008 total solar eclipse.

This was the first eclipse of the eclipse season, the second being the February 2008 lunar eclipse.

The exact time of the greatest eclipse took place on Thursday, February 7, 2008, at 03:55:05.0 a.m. UTC, but occurring only 6.9 days before perigee (Perigee on Thursday, February 14, 2008, at 12:56 a.m. UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was 0.9% smaller than average, and the Moon's distance from the Earth was 383,318 km (238,183 mi).

Visibility

Centrality was visible from parts of Antarctica. A significant partial eclipse was visible over New Zealand and a minor partial eclipse was seen from southeastern Australia.

For most solar eclipses the path of centrality moves eastwards. In this case the path moved west round Antarctica and then north.

Observations

The best land-based visibility outside of Antarctica was from New Zealand. Professional astronomer and eclipse-chaser Jay Pasachoff observed it from Nelson, New Zealand, 60% coverage, under perfect weather. [1] [2]

Images

SE2008Feb07A.gif
Animated path

Eclipses of 2008

Solar eclipses 2008–2011

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. [3]

Solar eclipse series sets from 2008–2011
Ascending node Descending node
SarosMapGammaSarosMapGamma
121
Solar eclipse 2008Feb07-New Zealand-partial-Greg Hewgill.jpg
Partial from Christchurch, NZ
2008 February 07
SE2008Feb07A.png
Annular
-0.95701126
NovosibirskTotalEclipsePhoto-cropped.jpg
Novosibirsk, Russia
2008 August 01
SE2008Aug01T.png
Total
0.83070
131
Solar Eclipse from Riversdale South Africa by Wim Filmalter (3238794030) (cropped).jpg
Partial from Riversdal
2009 January 26
SE2009Jan26A.png
Annular
-0.28197136
Solar eclipse 22 July 2009 taken by Lutfar Rahman Nirjhar from Bangladesh.jpg
Kurigram, Bangladesh
2009 July 22
SE2009Jul22T.png
Total
0.06977
141
(closeup) Solar annular eclipse of January 15, 2010 in Bangui, Central African Republic.JPG
Bangui, Central African Republic
2010 January 15
SE2010Jan15A.png
Annular
0.40016146
Eclipse 2010 Hao 1.JPG
Hao, French Polynesia
2010 July 11
SE2010Jul11T.png
Total
-0.67877
151
Solar eclipse Vienna 2011-1-4 a.jpg
Partial from Vienna, Austria
2011 January 04
SE2011Jan04P.png
Partial (north)
1.06265156 2011 July 01
SE2011Jul01P.png
Partial (south)
-1.49171

Partial solar eclipses on June 1, 2011, and November 25, 2011, occur on the next lunar year eclipse set.

Saros 121

Solar saros 121, repeating every about 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours, contains 71 events. The series started with a partial solar eclipse on April 25, 944. It contains total eclipses from July 10, 1070, to October 9, 1809. It contains hybrid eclipses on October 20, 1827, and October 30, 1845. It contains annular eclipses from November 11, 1863, to February 28, 2044. The series ends at member 71 as a partial eclipse on June 7, 2206. The longest total eclipse occurred on June 21, 1629, with greatest duration of totality at 6 minutes and 20 seconds. The longest annular eclipse will occur on February 28, 2044, with greatest duration of annularity at 2 minutes and 27 seconds. [4]

Series members 49–65 occur between 1801 and 2100:
495051
SE1809Oct09T.gif
October 9, 1809
SE1827Oct20H.gif
October 20, 1827
SE1845Oct30H.gif
October 30, 1845
525354
SE1863Nov11A.gif
November 11, 1863
SE1881Nov21A.gif
November 21, 1881
SE1899Dec03A.gif
December 3, 1899
555657
SE1917Dec14A.png
December 14, 1917
SE1935Dec25A.png
December 25, 1935
SE1954Jan05A.png
January 5, 1954
585960
SE1972Jan16A.png
January 16, 1972
SE1990Jan26A.png
January 26, 1990
SE2008Feb07A.png
February 7, 2008
616263
SE2026Feb17A.png
February 17, 2026
SE2044Feb28A.png
February 28, 2044
SE2062Mar11P.png
March 11, 2062
6465
SE2080Mar21P.png
March 21, 2080
SE2098Apr01P.png
April 1, 2098

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.

21 eclipse events, progressing from south to north between July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2076
July 1–2April 19–20February 5–7November 24–25September 12–13
117119121123125
SE2000Jul01P.png
July 1, 2000
SE2004Apr19P.png
April 19, 2004
SE2008Feb07A.png
February 7, 2008
SE2011Nov25P.png
November 25, 2011
SE2015Sep13P.png
September 13, 2015
127129131133135
SE2019Jul02T.png
July 2, 2019
SE2023Apr20H.png
April 20, 2023
SE2027Feb06A.png
February 6, 2027
SE2030Nov25T.png
November 25, 2030
SE2034Sep12A.png
September 12, 2034
137139141143145
SE2038Jul02A.png
July 2, 2038
SE2042Apr20T.png
April 20, 2042
SE2046Feb05A.png
February 5, 2046
SE2049Nov25H.png
November 25, 2049
SE2053Sep12T.png
September 12, 2053
147149151153155
SE2057Jul01A.png
July 1, 2057
SE2061Apr20T.png
April 20, 2061
SE2065Feb05P.png
February 5, 2065
SE2068Nov24P.png
November 24, 2068
SE2072Sep12T.png
September 12, 2072
157159161163165
SE2076Jul01P.png
July 1, 2076

Notes

  1. Solar Eclipse in New Zealand Archived 2011-02-02 at the Wayback Machine , meade4m.com: Advisor/Partner: Jay Pasachoff
  2. 2008 Annular Eclipse Professor Jay Pasachoff, Williams College--Hopkins Observatory
  3. 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.
  4. Saros Series Catalog of Solar Eclipses NASA Eclipse Web Site.

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References