Solar eclipse of October 12, 1939

Solar eclipse of October 12, 1939
Map
Type of eclipse
Nature	Total
Gamma	-0.9737
Magnitude	1.0266
Maximum eclipse
Duration	92 sec (1 m 32 s)
Coordinates	72°48′S 155°06′E / 72.8°S 155.1°E
Max. width of band	418 km (260 mi)
Times (UTC)
Greatest eclipse	20:40:23
References
Saros	123 (49 of 70)
Catalog # (SE5000)	9374

A total solar eclipse occurred on October 12, 1939. 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.

Related eclipses

Solar eclipses 1939-1942

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 1939-1942

Descending node			Ascending node
Saros	Map		Saros	Map
118	April 19, 1939 Annular		123	October 12, 1939 Total
128	April 7, 1940 Annular		133	October 1, 1940 Total
138	March 27, 1941 Annular		143	September 21, 1941 Total
148	March 16, 1942 Partial		153	September 10, 1942 Partial
The partial solar eclipse on August 12, 1942 occurs in the next lunar year eclipse set.

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).

21 eclipse events between July 31, 1924 and July 31, 2000 

July 31-Aug 1	May 19-20	March 7	December 24-25	October 12
115	117	119	121	123
July 31, 1924	May 19, 1928	March 7, 1932	December 25, 1935	October 12, 1939
125	127	129	131	133
August 1, 1943	May 20, 1947	March 7, 1951	December 25, 1954	October 12, 1958
135	137	139	141	143
July 31, 1962	May 20, 1966	March 7, 1970	December 24, 1973	October 12, 1977
145	147	149	151	153
July 31, 1981	May 19, 1985	March 7, 1989	December 24, 1992	October 12, 1996
155
July 31, 2000

Notes

References

• Earth visibility chart and eclipse statistics Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA/GSFC
  • Google interactive map
  • Besselian elements