A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Wednesday, February 15, 1961, with a magnitude of 1.036. 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. Occurring about 21 hours after perigee (on February 14, 1961, at 11:30 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Totality was visible from France, Monaco, Italy, San Marino, Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia (parts now belonging to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo, North Macedonia), Albania, Bulgaria including the capital city Sofia, Romania including the capital city Bucharest, and the Soviet Union (parts now belonging to Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan). The maximum eclipse was recorded near Novocherkassk (Russian SFSR). A partial eclipse was visible for parts of Europe, North Africa, Northeast Africa, West Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia.
The date of this eclipse was the exact date of the Lunar New Year, celebrated in parts of Asia where a partial solar eclipse was visible.
Observation A team from the University of Texas observed the total eclipse in Pisa, Italy, mostly studying the solar irradiance with a wavelength below 1 centimeter. At that time, coronagraphs had already allowed coronal observation in the visible light band so it could be observed at any time, not just during total solar eclipses, but instruments allowing millimeter-wave band observations were still lacking. Therefore, it was still necessary to make such observations during a total solar eclipse. Arcetri Observatory in Florence, Italy also made observations.
In popular culture
The crucifixion scene in the 1961 film Barabbas was shot during this eclipse.
Eclipse details
Shown below are two tables displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. The first table outlines times at which the Moon's penumbra or umbra attains the specific parameter, and the second table describes various other parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+February 15, 1961 Solar Eclipse Times Event Time (UTC) First Penumbral External Contact 1961 February 15 at 06:09:22.0 UTC First Umbral External Contact 1961 February 15 at 07:29:58.3 UTC First Central Line 1961 February 15 at 07:31:35.6 UTC First Umbral Internal Contact 1961 February 15 at 07:33:15.5 UTC Ecliptic Conjunction 1961 February 15 at 08:10:53.4 UTC Greatest Duration 1961 February 15 at 08:18:50.8 UTC Greatest Eclipse 1961 February 15 at 08:19:48.3 UTC Equatorial Conjunction 1961 February 15 at 08:43:06.4 UTC Last Umbral Internal Contact 1961 February 15 at 09:06:05.1 UTC Last Central Line 1961 February 15 at 09:07:44.1 UTC Last Umbral External Contact 1961 February 15 at 09:09:20.5 UTC Last Penumbral External Contact 1961 February 15 at 10:30:05.6 UTC
+February 15, 1961 Solar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Eclipse Magnitude 1.03604 Eclipse Obscuration 1.07339 Gamma 0.88302 Sun Right Ascension 21h54m38.6s Sun Declination -12°42'31.9" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'11.4" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 21h53m44.3s Moon Declination -11°50'22.7" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'38.8" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°01'05.5" ΔT 33.6 s
Eclipse season
This eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two (or occasionally three) eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months (173 days) later; thus two full eclipse seasons always occur each year. Either two or three eclipses happen each eclipse season. In the sequence below, each eclipse is separated by a fortnight.
+ Eclipse season of February–March 1961 February 15Descending node (new moon) March 2Ascending node (full moon) Total solar eclipseSolar Saros 120 Partial lunar eclipseLunar Saros 132
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1961 A total solar eclipse on February 15. A partial lunar eclipse on March 2. An annular solar eclipse on August 11. A partial lunar eclipse on August 26.
Metonic Preceded by: Solar eclipse of April 30, 1957 Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 4, 1964
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 5, 1954 Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 28, 1968
Half-Saros Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 11, 1952 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 21, 1970
Tritos Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 18, 1950 Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 16, 1972
Solar Saros 120 Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 4, 1943 Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 26, 1979
Inex Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 7, 1932 Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 26, 1990
Triad Preceded by: Solar eclipse of April 16, 1874 Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 16, 2047
Solar eclipses of 1961–1964
Saros 120
Metonic series
Tritos series
Inex series
See also List of solar eclipses visible from Russia List of solar eclipses visible from Ukraine
Notes
References
Solar eclipse of February 15, 1961 in Russia