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Solar eclipse of May 6, 1883

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Solar eclipse of May 6, 1883
An artist's depiction of the total solar eclipse, observed from Caroline Atoll, Caroline Islands.
Map
Type of eclipse
NatureTotal
Gamma−0.425
Magnitude1.0634
Maximum eclipse
Duration358 s (5 min 58 s)
Coordinates8°06′S 144°36′W / 8.1°S 144.6°W / -8.1; -144.6
Max. width of band229 km (142 mi)
Times (UTC)
Greatest eclipse21:53:49
References
Saros136 (30 of 71)
Catalog # (SE5000)9241

A total solar eclipse occurred on May 6, 1883. 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. The path of totality fell across the southern Pacific Ocean with no major landfall. Partiality was visible from far eastern Australia at sunrise, and New Zealand, as well as western South America and southern Mexico near sunset. This eclipse is a member of Solar Saros 136, and its maximum duration was 5 minutes and 58.24 seconds.

Observations

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An expedition of American astronomers traveled from Peru to Caroline Island aboard the USS Hartford to observe the total solar eclipse. A French expedition also observed the eclipse from Caroline, and the United States Navy mapped the atoll.[1] Johann Palisa, a member of the expedition, discovered an asteroid later that year which he named Carolina "in remembrance of his visit to [the] island".[2]

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Saros 136

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This eclipse is a part of Saros series 136, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, and containing 71 events. The series started with a partial solar eclipse on June 14, 1360. It contains annular eclipses from September 8, 1504 through November 12, 1594; hybrid eclipses from November 22, 1612 through January 17, 1703; and total eclipses from January 27, 1721 through May 13, 2496. The series ends at member 71 as a partial eclipse on July 30, 2622. Its eclipses are tabulated in three columns; every third eclipse in the same column is one exeligmos apart, so they all cast shadows over approximately the same parts of the Earth.

The longest duration of annularity was produced by member 9 at 32 seconds on September 8, 1504, and the longest duration of totality was produced by member 34 at 7 minutes, 7.74 seconds on June 20, 1955. All eclipses in this series occur at the Moon’s descending node of orbit.[3]

Series members 26–47 occur between 1801 and 2200:
26 27 28

March 24, 1811

April 3, 1829

April 15, 1847
29 30 31

April 25, 1865

May 6, 1883

May 18, 1901
32 33 34

May 29, 1919

June 8, 1937

June 20, 1955
35 36 37

June 30, 1973

July 11, 1991

July 22, 2009
38 39 40

August 2, 2027

August 12, 2045

August 24, 2063
41 42 43

September 3, 2081

September 14, 2099

September 26, 2117
44 45 46

October 7, 2135

October 17, 2153

October 29, 2171
47

November 8, 2189

Notes

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  1. ^ Bryan, E.H. (1942). American Polynesia and the Hawaiian Chain. Honolulu: Tongg Publishing Company.
  2. ^ Schmadel, L.D. (2000). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names (4th ed.). Berlin: Springer-Verlag Telos. ISBN 3-540-66292-8.
  3. ^ "NASA - Catalog of Solar Eclipses of Saros 136". eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov.

References

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