Solar eclipse of February 3, 1916
PreviousSolar eclipse of August 10, 1915
NextSolar eclipse of July 30, 1916

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Thursday, February 3, 1916,[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] with a magnitude of 1.028. 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. 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 1.7 days after perigee (on February 2, 1916, at 0:00 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[9]

Totality was visible in Colombia, Venezuela, and the whole Guadeloupe except Marie-Galante, Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of North America, Central America, northern South America, Northwest Africa, and Western Europe.

Observations

The Argentine National Observatory sent a team to Tucacas, Falcón, Venezuela. Due to the economic depression caused by World War I, the best equipment could not be transported to the observation site. The team left Córdoba Province, Argentina on December 2, 1915, and arrived in Tucacas on January 14, 1916. It rained heavily within the first week after their arrival. There was still heavy rain on the early morning of February 3. The weather got better after that. By the time of totality, there was only a layer of mist, which slightly affected the observation. The team successfully took images of the corona and made spectral observations.[10] The results were also compared with a later total solar eclipse of February 26, 1998 which was also visible in Falcón, Venezuela.[11]

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.[12]

February 3, 1916 Solar Eclipse Times
EventTime (UTC)
First Penumbral External Contact1916 February 3 at 13:27:05.9 UTC
First Umbral External Contact1916 February 3 at 14:28:56.2 UTC
First Central Line1916 February 3 at 14:29:21.6 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact1916 February 3 at 14:29:47.1 UTC
Greatest Duration1916 February 3 at 15:55:04.9 UTC
Greatest Eclipse1916 February 3 at 16:00:21.4 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction1916 February 3 at 16:05:33.2 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction1916 February 3 at 16:21:50.2 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact1916 February 3 at 17:30:44.2 UTC
Last Central Line1916 February 3 at 17:31:07.9 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact1916 February 3 at 17:31:31.6 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact1916 February 3 at 18:33:31.9 UTC
February 3, 1916 Solar Eclipse Parameters
ParameterValue
Eclipse Magnitude1.02800
Eclipse Obscuration1.05678
Gamma0.49875
Sun Right Ascension21h03m55.2s
Sun Declination-16°46'33.6"
Sun Semi-Diameter16'13.5"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.9"
Moon Right Ascension21h03m07.7s
Moon Declination-16°18'47.0"
Moon Semi-Diameter16'26.3"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax1°00'19.8"
ΔT18.3 s

Eclipse season

See also: Eclipse cycle

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 January–February 1916
January 20
Descending node (full moon)		February 3
Ascending node (new moon)
Partial lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 113		Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 139

Eclipses in 1916

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 139

Inex

Triad

Notes

  1. ^ "February 3, 1916 Total Solar Eclipse". timeanddate. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  2. ^ "The Total Solar Eclipse of Feb. 3". Janesville Daily Gazette. 1916-02-03. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-12-02. – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "To-day's sunset eclipse. The position of Cornwall; longest view in England.". The West Briton. 1916-02-03. p. 7. Retrieved 2023-12-02. – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "DOES PATH OF SUN'S ECLIPSE PORTEND EARLY END OF WAR? SOME FOLKS THINK SO". Nashville Banner. 1916-02-03. p. 13. Retrieved 2023-12-02. – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Don't Worry If You Didn't See Sun's Eclipse For There Are To Be Others". The Cincinnati Post. 1916-02-03. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-12-02. – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "PHENOMENON IN SKY ON HEELS OF STORM". The York Dispatch. 1916-02-03. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-12-02. – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Many See Partial Eclipse.". The Washington Herald. 1916-02-04. p. 12. Retrieved 2023-12-02. – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Eclipse of Sun Photographed Through 6-Inch Telescope". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 1916-02-04. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-12-02. – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  10. ^ C. D. Perrine (December 1916). "THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF FEBRUARY 3, 1916". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 28 (166): 247–252. Archived 28 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ^ Marcos A. Peñaloza-Murillo (2002). "Optical Response of the Atmosphere during the Caribbean Total Solar Eclipses of 26 February 1998 and of 3 February 1916 at Falcón State, Venezuela". Earth, Moon, and Planets. 91: 125–159.
  12. ^ "Total Solar Eclipse of 1916 Feb 03". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 1 August 2024.

References