Solar eclipse of January 15, 2010

An annular solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of the orbit on January 15, 2010,[1][2] with a magnitude of 0.91903. 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. It was the longest annular solar eclipse of the millennium,[3] and the longest until December 23, 3043, with the length of maximum eclipse of 11 minutes, 7.8 seconds, and the longest duration of 11 minutes, 10.7 seconds.[4] This is about 4 minutes longer than total solar eclipses could ever get. (The solar eclipse of January 4, 1992, was longer, at 11 minutes, 40.9 seconds, occurring in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.)[5]

Solar eclipse of January 15, 2010
Annularity from Jinan, China
Map
Type of eclipse
NatureAnnular
Gamma0.4002
Magnitude0.919
Maximum eclipse
Duration668 s (11 min 8 s)
Coordinates1.6°N 69.3°E / 1.6; 69.3
Max. width of band333 km (207 mi)
Times (UTC)
(P1) Partial begin4:05:28
(U1) Total begin5:13:55
Greatest eclipse7:07:39
(U4) Total end8:59:04
(P4) Partial end10:07:35
References
Saros141 (23 of 70)
Catalog # (SE5000)9529

Lasting 11 minutes and 7.8 seconds, and eclipse magnitude of only 0.91903, this was the longest and smallest annular solar eclipse of the 21st century. It was an annular solar eclipse on January 15, 2010.

The eclipse was visible as only a partial eclipse in much of Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It was seen as an annular eclipse within a narrow stretch of 300 km (190 mi) width across Central Africa, Maldives, South Kerala (India), South Tamil Nadu (India), Sri Lanka and parts of Bangladesh, Burma and China.

Summary of the Annular Solar Eclipse of January 15, 2010

Eclipse Magnitude: 0.91903

Eclipse Obscuration: 0.84462

Gamma: 0.40016

Saros Series: 141st (23 of 70)

Sun Right Ascension: 19.8

Moon Right Ascension: 19.79

Sun Declination: -21.1

Moon Declination: -20.8

Sun Diameter: 1951.0 arcseconds

Moon Diameter: 1768.6 arcseconds

Radius of the Penumbral Shadow: 7,322.7 km (4,550.1 mi)

Radius of the Antumbral Shadow: 361.7 km (224.8 mi)

Path Width: 333.1 km (207 mi)

Greatest Eclipse: 2010 January 15 at 07:06:33.2 UTC

Apogee at 2010 January 17 at 01:41 UTC (406,433 km (252,546 mi))

EventUTC time
First Penumbral External Contact2010 Jan 15 at 04:05:27.6 UTC
First Umbral External Contact2010 Jan 15 at 05:13:55.0 UTC
First Central Line2010 Jan 15 at 05:17:34.8 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact2010 Jan 15 at 05:21:15.9 UTC
First Penumbral Internal Contact2010 Jan 15 at 06:50:06.9 UTC
Greatest Eclipse2010 Jan 15 at 07:06:33.2 UTC
Last Penumbral Internal Contact2010 Jan 15 at 07:22:37.8 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact2010 Jan 15 at 08:51:40.5 UTC
Last Central Line2010 Jan 15 at 08:55:22.8 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact2010 Jan 15 at 08:59:03.9 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact2010 Jan 15 at 10:07:35.3 UTC

Visibility of the eclipse
The eclipse in Bangui, Central African Republic at sunrise

The eclipse started in the Central African Republic near the border with Chad, traversed DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya, passed through the northern tip of Tanzania, southwestern Somalia and three islands of Seychelles (Bird, Denis and Aride), before it entered the Indian Ocean, where it reached its greatest visibility. It then passed through Maldives. The annular eclipse at Malé, the capital city of the country, started at 12:20:17 and ended at 12:31:02 local time (UTC+5), lasting for 10 minutes and 45 seconds (645 seconds). This was also the longest duration of any eclipse with an international airport in its track.[6]

At approximately 13:20 IST, the annular solar eclipse entered India at Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), the capital of Kerala and exited India at Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.

The eclipse was viewable for 10 minutes in India. After Rameswaram, it entered Sri Lanka at Delft Island, exited at Jaffna in Sri Lanka, crossed the Bay of Bengal and re-entered India in Mizoram.

The eclipse from Thiruvananthapuram, India where the eclipse was 92%

Thiruvananthapuram, which was the entry point of the eclipse in India, was equipped with telescopes and announced facilities for the public to view the eclipse.[7] Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, situated in Trivandrum, analysed the atmospheric-ionospheric parameters during the eclipse.[8] Many scientists camped in the city to witness and study the eclipse.[9]

At Rameswaram, the sunrise was not visible due to thick clouds, but it started getting clear at around 9 am local time and became almost totally clear by the time the eclipse began. The sky had a thin layer of cirrus clouds till 2:30 pm. Among the eclipse-watchers was Sky Watchers' Association of North Bengal (SWAN) from Siliguri at the foothills of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu Astronomical Association.

Dhanushkodi, which falls on the central line of the eclipse, was a good place to view the eclipse. The northernmost limit of shadow in India was Cuddalore, Neyveli, Erode, Kodaikanal, and Madurai. Other prime viewing locations in Tamil Nadu include Thoothukudi and Cape Comorin, 22 km north of the center line. The exact location of the line is between the NH end and the Dhanushkodi ruins. Dhanushkodi is about 2 km east of the central line. The degree difference is about 0.2 between the central line – with Kodandaramar Temple and Dhanushkodi ruins vice versa. Dhanushkodi is about 5 km from the Kodandaramar Temple.

After South Asia, the antumbra passed through the southern tip of Bangladesh, Myanmar and China before leaving the Earth.

Eclipses of 2010

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros cycle
  • Preceded: Lunar eclipse of January 9, 2001

Tritos
  • Preceded: Solar eclipse of February 16, 1999

Solar Saros 141
  • Followed: Solar eclipse of January 26, 2028

Inex
  • Preceded: Solar eclipse of February 4, 1981
  • Followed: Solar eclipse of December 26, 2038

Triad
  • Preceded: Solar eclipse of March 17, 1923
  • Followed: Solar eclipse of November 15, 2096

Solar eclipses 2008–2011

This eclipse is a member of a semester series. An eclipse 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.[10]

Solar eclipse series sets from 2008 to 2011
Ascending node   Descending node
Saros Map Gamma Saros Map Gamma
121

Partial from Christchurch, NZ		 2008 February 07

Annular		 −0.95701 126

Novosibirsk, Russia		 2008 August 01

Total		 0.83070
131

Palangka Raya, Indonesia		 2009 January 26

Annular		 −0.28197 136

Kurigram, Bangladesh		 2009 July 22

Total		 0.06977
141

Bangui, Central African Republic		 2010 January 15

Annular		 0.40016 146

Hao, French Polynesia		 2010 July 11

Total		 −0.67877
151

Partial from Vienna, Austria		 2011 January 04

Partial (north)		 1.06265 156 2011 July 01

Partial (south)		 −1.49171

Partial solar eclipses on June 1, 2011, and November 25, 2011, occur on the next lunar year eclipse set.

Saros 141

Solar saros 141, repeating every about 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours, contains 70 events. The series started with partial solar eclipse on May 19, 1613. It contains 41 annular eclipses from August 4, 1739, to October 14, 2460. There are no total eclipses in this series. The series ends at member 70 as a partial eclipse on June 13, 2857. The longest annular eclipse occurred on December 14, 1955, with maximum duration of annularity at 12 minutes and 9 seconds. All eclipses in this series occur at the Moon’s ascending node.[11]

Series members 17–36 occur between 1901 and 2259
17 18 19

November 11, 1901
November 22, 1919
December 2, 1937
20 21 22

December 14, 1955
December 24, 1973
January 4, 1992
23 24 25

January 15, 2010
January 26, 2028
February 5, 2046
26 27 28

February 17, 2064
February 27, 2082
March 10, 2100
29 30 31

March 22, 2118
April 1, 2136
April 12, 2154
32 33 34

April 23, 2172
May 4, 2190
May 15, 2208
35 36

May 27, 2226
June 6, 2244

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). All eclipses in this table occur at the Moon's ascending node.

21 eclipse events, progressing from south to north between June 10, 1964, and August 21, 2036
June 10–11 March 27–29 January 15–16 November 3 August 21–22
117 119 121 123 125

June 10, 1964
March 28, 1968
January 16, 1972
November 3, 1975
August 22, 1979
127 129 131 133 135

June 11, 1983
March 29, 1987
January 15, 1991
November 3, 1994
August 22, 1998
137 139 141 143 145

June 10, 2002
March 29, 2006
January 15, 2010
November 3, 2013
August 21, 2017
147 149 151 153 155

June 10, 2021
March 29, 2025
January 14, 2029
November 3, 2032
August 21, 2036

Notes
  1. "Solar eclipse dazzles Africa and Asia". Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era. 2010-01-16. p. 32. Retrieved 2023-10-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Thousands view solar eclipse in Africa, Asia". Tri-City Herald. 2010-01-16. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-10-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. NASA – Solar Eclipse Search Engine
  4. Espenak, Fred. "Besselian Elements for Annular Solar Eclipse of 2010 Jan 15". NASA Eclipse Web Site.
  5. Annular Solar Eclipse Occurs on January 15, 2010
  6. NASA: Eclipses During 2010: Annular Solar Eclipse of January 15
  7. Facilities to view the solar eclipse in Trivandrum
  8. VSSC expects insights from eclipse
  9. City Bureau (January 15, 2010). "Celestial treat, a day away". The Hindu. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010.
  10. van Gent, R.H. "Solar- and Lunar-Eclipse Predictions from Antiquity to the Present". A Catalogue of Eclipse Cycles. Utrecht University. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  11. Saros Series Catalog of Solar Eclipses NASA Eclipse Web Site.

References
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