| Solar eclipse of February 4, 1981 | |
|---|---|
 Map | |
| Type of eclipse | |
| Nature | Annular |
| Gamma | −0.4838 |
| Magnitude | 0.9937 |
| Maximum eclipse | |
| Duration | 33 s (0 min 33 s) |
| Coordinates | 44°24′S 140°48′W / 44.4°S 140.8°W |
| Max. width of band | 25 km (16 mi) |
| Times (UTC) | |
| Greatest eclipse | 22:09:24 |
| References | |
| Saros | 140 (27 of 71) |
| Catalog # (SE5000) | 9466 |
An annular solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit between Wednesday, February 4 and Thursday, February 5, 1981,[1] with a magnitude of 0.9937. 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. The Moon's apparent diameter was near the average diameter because it occurred 8.1 days after apogee (on January 27, 1981, at 20:30 UTC) and 4 days before perigee (on February 8, 1981, at 22:30 UTC).[2]
The moon's apparent diameter was 7 arcseconds smaller than the July 31, 1981 total solar eclipse.
It was visible in Australia, crossing over Tasmania and southern Stewart Island of New Zealand near sunrise on February 5 (Thursday), and ended at sunset over western South America on February 4 (Wednesday). A partial eclipse was visible for parts of Eastern Australia, Oceania, Antarctica, and western South America.
- ^ "February 4–5, 1981 Annular Solar Eclipse". timeanddate. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
- ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 9 August 2024.