Nature Total Magnitude 1.0234 Max. width of band 84 km (52 mi) Start date November 12, 1966 | Gamma -0.33 Duration 117 sec (1 m 57 s) Greatest eclipse 14:23:28 | |
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A total solar eclipse occurred on November 12, 1966. 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 cut a swath across South America from north of Lima, Peru, nearly to the southernmost tip of Brazil.
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Observations
The NASA Gemini XII mission observed this total eclipse from space:
The Canary Island controller greeted the crew in the morning with the news that there would be a second maneuver - 5 meters forward - to line the vehicles up properly. The prospects panned out richly, and the crew reported seeing the eclipse "right on the money at 16:01:44 g.e.t." Although they thought for a moment, they were slightly off track, their aim had been accurate.
Solar eclipses of 1964-1967
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 eclipses on January 14, 1964 and July 9, 1964 belong to the previous lunar year set.
Saros series 142
It is a part of Saros cycle 142, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, containing 72 events. The series started with partial solar eclipse on April 17, 1624. It contains one hybrid eclipse on July 14, 1768, and total eclipses from July 25, 1786 through October 29, 2543. The series ends at member 72 as a partial eclipse on June 5, 2904. The longest duration of totality will be 6 minutes, 34 seconds on May 28, 2291.