Solar eclipse of February 7, 2008

Solar eclipse of February 7, 2008
Map
Type of eclipse
Nature Annular
Gamma -0.957
Magnitude 0.965
Maximum eclipse
Duration 132 sec (2 m 12 s)
Coordinates 67°36′S 150°30′W / 67.6°S 150.5°W / -67.6; -150.5
Max. width of band 444 km (276 mi)
Times (UTC)
Greatest eclipse 3:56:10
References
Saros 121 (60 of 71)
Catalog # (SE5000) 9525

An annular solar eclipse occurred 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.

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


Animated path

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]

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).

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.

References

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