| Solar eclipse of August 1, 2008 | |
|---|---|
 Totality showing corona from Kumul, Xinjiang | |
 Map | |
| Type of eclipse | |
| Nature | Total |
| Gamma | 0.8307 |
| Magnitude | 1.0394 |
| Maximum eclipse | |
| Duration | 147 s (2 min 27 s) |
| Coordinates | 65°42′N 72°18′E / 65.7°N 72.3°E |
| Max. width of band | 237 km (147 mi) |
| Times (UTC) | |
| (P1) Partial begin | 04:06.8 |
| (U1) Total begin | 21:07.3 |
| Greatest eclipse | 10:22:12 |
| (U4) Total end | 21:28.3 |
| (P4) Partial end | 38:27.7 |
| References | |
| Saros | 126 (47 of 72) |
| Catalog # (SE5000) | 9526 |
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Friday, August 1, 2008,[1][2][3] with a magnitude of 1.0394.[4] 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 about 2.4 days after perigee (on July 30, 2008, at 0:20 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[5]
The eclipse was visible from a narrow corridor through northern Canada (Nunavut), Greenland, central Russia, eastern Kazakhstan, western Mongolia and China.[6] Visible north of the Arctic Circle, it belonged to the so-called midnight sun eclipses. The largest city in its path was Novosibirsk in Russia.[7] A partial eclipse could be seen from the much broader path of the Moon's penumbra, including northern Canada, Greenland, and most of Europe and Asia.[6]
The moon's apparent diameter was 1 arcminute, 17.8 arcseconds (77.8 arcseconds) larger than the annular solar eclipse of February 7, 2008.
It was described by observers as "special for its colours around the horizon. There were wonderful oranges and reds all around, the clouds lit up, some dark in silhouette, some golden, glowing yellowy-orange in the distance. You could see the shadow approaching against the clouds and then rushing away as it left."[8][citation needed]
- ^ "August 1, 2008 Total Solar Eclipse". timeanddate. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ "Russians marvel as moon blocks out sun". The Park City Daily News. 2008-08-01. p. A5. Retrieved 2023-10-25 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "'Olympics eclipse' wows crowds along Silk Road". The Charlotte Observer. 2008-08-01. p. A5. Retrieved 2023-10-25 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Espenak, Fred; Anderson, Jay (July 2004). "Total Solar Eclipse of 2008 August 01 – Parameters". NASA. Archived from the original on 2007-03-21. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
- ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Total Solar Eclipse of 2008 August 01". NASA. August 1, 2008. Archived from the original on March 9, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
- ^ "Total eclipse a dark show for thousands". Herald Sun. August 1, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-09-19. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
- ^ Dr John Mason describing the eclipse directly after observing it.