Solar eclipse of March 9, 1997

Solar eclipse of March 9, 1997
Map
Type of eclipse
Nature Total
Gamma 0.9183
Magnitude 1.042
Maximum eclipse
Duration 2m 50s
Coordinates 57.8N 130.7E
Max. width of band 356 km
Times (UTC)
Greatest eclipse 1:24:51
References
Saros 120 (60 of 71)
Catalog # (SE5000) 9501

A total solar eclipse occurred on March 9, 1997. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partially 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, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across the surface of the Earth, while a partial solar eclipse will be visible over a region thousands of kilometres wide.

Contents

Unusual gravity variations

This solar eclipse is somewhat special in the sense that some unexplained gravity anomalies of about 7 \times 10{-8} m/s2 during the solar eclipse were observed. Attempts (e.g., Van Flandern-Yang hypothesis) to explain these anomalies have not been able to reach a definite conclusion.[1]

Images

Related eclipses

Solar eclipses 1997-2000

This set of solar eclipses repeat approximately every 177 days and 4 hours at alternating nodes of the moon's orbit.

Solar eclipse series sets from 1997–2000
Ascending node   Descending node
Saros Map Saros Map
120 March 9, 1997

Total		 125 September 2, 1997

Partial
130 February 26, 1998

Total		 135 August 22, 1998

Annular
140 February 16, 1999

Annular		 145

Totality France		 August 11, 1999

Total
150 February 5, 2000

Partial		 155 July 31, 2000

Partial
Partial solar eclipses on July 1, 2000 and December 25, 2000 occur in the next lunar year eclipse set.

Saros 120

It is a part of Saros cycle 120, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, containing 71 events. The series started with partial solar eclipse on May 27, 933 AD, and reached an annular eclipse on August 11, 1059. It was a hybrid event for 3 dates: May 8, 1510, through May 29, 1546, and total eclipses from June 8, 1564 through March 30, 2033. The series ends at member 71 as a partial eclipse on July 7, 2195. The longest duration of totality was 2 minutes, 16 seconds on August 12, 1654.[2]

Series members 55-65 occur between 1901 and 2100:

55 56 57

January 14, 1907
January 24, 1925
February 4, 1943
58 59 60

February 15, 1961
February 26, 1979
March 9, 1997
61 62 63

March 20, 2015
March 30, 2033
April 11, 2051
64 65

April 21, 2069
May 2, 2087

Metonic series

The metonic series repeats eclipses every 19 years (6939.69 days), lasting about 5 cycles. Eclipses occur in nearly the same calendar date. In addition the octon subseries repeats 1/5 of that or every 3.8 years (1387.94 days).

This series has 21 eclipse events between May 21, 1993 and May 20, 2069.

May 20-21 March 9 December 25-26 October 13-14 August 1-2
118 120 122 124 126

May 21, 1993
March 9, 1997
December 25, 2000
October 14, 2004
August 1, 2008
128 130 132 134 136

May 20, 2012
March 9, 2016
December 26, 2019
October 14, 2023
August 2, 2027
138 140 142 144 146

May 21, 2031
March 9, 2035
December 26, 2038
October 14, 2042
August 2, 2046
148 150 152 154 156

May 20, 2050
March 9, 2054
December 26, 2057
October 13, 2061
August 2, 2065
158

May 20, 2069

References

  1. ^ Q.-S. Wang, X.-S.Yang, C.-Z. Wu, H.-G. Guo, H.-C. Liu and C.-C. Hua, Precise measurement of gravity variations during a total solar eclipse, Phys. Rev. D 62, 041101(2000).
  2. ^ http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsaros/SEsaros120.html

External links

Photos: