Solar eclipse of March 9, 1997

Solar eclipse of March 9, 1997

Total eclipse from Chita, Russia
Map
Type of eclipse
Nature Total
Gamma 0.9183
Magnitude 1.042
Maximum eclipse
Duration 170 sec (2 m 50 s)
Coordinates 57°48′N 130°42′E / 57.8°N 130.7°E / 57.8; 130.7
Max. width of band 356 km (221 mi)
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 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.

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

Each member in a semester series of solar eclipses repeats approximately every 177 days and 4 hours (a semester) at alternating nodes of the Moon's orbit.

Solar eclipse series sets from 1997 to 2000
Ascending node   Descending node
SarosMap SarosMap
120

Chita, Russia		March 9, 1997

Total		 125September 2, 1997

Partial
130February 26, 1998

Total		 135August 22, 1998

Annular
140February 16, 1999

Annular		 145

Totality Cornwall, United Kingdom		August 11, 1999

Total
150February 5, 2000

Partial		 155July 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, 50 seconds on March 9, 1997.[2]

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).

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

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