Solar eclipse of February 26, 1979

Solar eclipse of February 26, 1979
Totality as seen from Brandon, Manitoba
Map
Type of eclipse
Nature	Total
Gamma	0.8981
Magnitude	1.0391
Maximum eclipse
Duration	169 s (2 min 49 s)
Coordinates	52°06′N 94°30′W / 52.1°N 94.5°W / 52.1; -94.5
Max. width of band	298 km (185 mi)
Times (UTC)
Greatest eclipse	16:55:06
References
Saros	120 (59 of 71)
Catalog # (SE5000)	9462

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Monday, February 26, 1979,^[1] with a magnitude of 1.0391. A solar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon that 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 only about 19 hours after perigee (on February 25, 1979, at 22:20 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.^[2]

The central shadow of the Moon passed through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana (where totality covered almost the entire state), North Dakota, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, the Northwest Territories of Canada (the portion that is now Nunavut), and Greenland. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Western Europe.