Nature Total Magnitude 1.0776 Max. width of band 254 km (158 mi) Start date June 20, 1955 | Gamma -0.1528 Duration 428 sec (7 m 8 s) Greatest eclipse 4:10:42 | |
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A total solar eclipse occurred on June 20, 1955. 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. With a maximum duration of 7 minutes 8 seconds, this is the longest solar eclipse of saros series 136, as well as the longest total solar eclipse since the 11th century, and until the 22nd century. Totality beginning over the Indian Ocean and Maldives, crossing southern tip of India and Sri Lanka, moving across Indochina and the Philippines (near the greatest eclipse), towards Solomon Islands ending over Southwestern Pacific Ocean.
Contents
Solar eclipses of 1953-1956
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.
Note: Partial solar eclipse of February 14, 1953 and August 9, 1953 belong to the last lunar year set.
Saros 136
Solar Saros 136, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, contains 71 events. The series started with partial solar eclipse on Jun 14, 1360, and reached a first annular eclipse on September 8, 1504. It was a hybrid event 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, with the entire series lasting 1262 years. The longest eclipse occurred on June 20, 1955, with a maximum duration of totality at 7 minutes, 8 seconds.