| Solar eclipse of August 9, 1896 | |
|---|---|
 Map | |
| Type of eclipse | |
| Nature | Total |
| Gamma | 0.6964 |
| Magnitude | 1.0392 |
| Maximum eclipse | |
| Duration | 163 s (2 min 43 s) |
| Coordinates | 54°24′N 132°12′E / 54.4°N 132.2°E |
| Max. width of band | 182 km (113 mi) |
| Times (UTC) | |
| Greatest eclipse | 5:09:00 |
| References | |
| Saros | 124 (48 of 73) |
| Catalog # (SE5000) | 9272 |
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Sunday, August 9, 1896, with a magnitude of 1.0392. 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 2.5 days before perigee (on August 11, 1896, at 18:30 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[1]
The path of totality was visible from parts of northern Norway, northern Sweden, the Russian Empire, and the Empire of Japan. A partial solar eclipse was also visible for much of Europe, Central Asia, East Asia, Northeast Asia, Alaska, and Greenland.
This event was the subject of the first organized eclipse expedition by the British Astronomical Association. A group of 165 amateur and professional astronomers sailed from Tilbury, England on July 25, heading toward Vadsø, Norway.[2] This expedition failed to produce any usable results as they were frustrated by the weather conditions at the time of the eclipse.[3] However, a smaller expedition to Novaya Zemlya on Sir George Baden-Powell's yacht Otario met with success.[2]
- ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ^ a b Marriott, R. A. (June 1991). "Norway 1896: the BAA's first organised eclipse expedition". Journal of the British Astronomical Association. 101 (3): 162–170. Bibcode:1991JBAA..101..162M.
- ^ "Expedition for the Observation of the Total Solar Eclipse, August 9th, 1896". Memoirs of the British Astronomical Association. 6: 1–4. 1898. Bibcode:1898MmBAA...6....1.