A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Thursday, February 3, 1916, with a magnitude of 1.028. 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 1.7 days after perigee (on February 2, 1916, at 0:00 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Totality was visible in Colombia, Venezuela, and the whole Guadeloupe except Marie-Galante, Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of North America, Central America, northern South America, Northwest Africa, and Western Europe.
Observations The Argentine National Observatory sent a team to Tucacas, Falcón, Venezuela. Due to the economic depression caused by World War I, the best equipment could not be transported to the observation site. The team left Córdoba Province, Argentina on December 2, 1915, and arrived in Tucacas on January 14, 1916. It rained heavily within the first week after their arrival. There was still heavy rain on the early morning of February 3. The weather got better after that. By the time of totality, there was only a layer of mist, which slightly affected the observation. The team successfully took images of the corona and made spectral observations. The results were also compared with a later total solar eclipse of February 26, 1998 which was also visible in Falcón, Venezuela.
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 3, 1916 Solar Eclipse Times Event Time (UTC) First Penumbral External Contact 1916 February 3 at 13:27:05.9 UTC First Umbral External Contact 1916 February 3 at 14:28:56.2 UTC First Central Line 1916 February 3 at 14:29:21.6 UTC First Umbral Internal Contact 1916 February 3 at 14:29:47.1 UTC Greatest Duration 1916 February 3 at 15:55:04.9 UTC Greatest Eclipse 1916 February 3 at 16:00:21.4 UTC Ecliptic Conjunction 1916 February 3 at 16:05:33.2 UTC Equatorial Conjunction 1916 February 3 at 16:21:50.2 UTC Last Umbral Internal Contact 1916 February 3 at 17:30:44.2 UTC Last Central Line 1916 February 3 at 17:31:07.9 UTC Last Umbral External Contact 1916 February 3 at 17:31:31.6 UTC Last Penumbral External Contact 1916 February 3 at 18:33:31.9 UTC
+February 3, 1916 Solar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Eclipse Magnitude 1.02800 Eclipse Obscuration 1.05678 Gamma 0.49875 Sun Right Ascension 21h03m55.2s Sun Declination -16°46'33.6" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'13.5" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 21h03m07.7s Moon Declination -16°18'47.0" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'26.3" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°00'19.8" ΔT 18.3 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 January–February 1916 January 20Descending node (full moon) February 3Ascending node (new moon) Partial lunar eclipseLunar Saros 113 Total solar eclipseSolar Saros 139
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1916 A partial lunar eclipse on January 20. A total solar eclipse on February 3. A partial lunar eclipse on July 15. An annular solar eclipse on July 30. A partial solar eclipse on December 24.
Metonic Preceded by: Solar eclipse of April 17, 1912 Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 22, 1919
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 23, 1908 Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 17, 1923
Half-Saros Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 29, 1907 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 8, 1925
Tritos Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 6, 1905 Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 3, 1927
Solar Saros 139 Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 22, 1898 Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 14, 1934
Inex Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 22, 1887 Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 14, 1945
Triad Preceded by: Solar eclipse of April 3, 1829 Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 4, 2002
Solar eclipse of 1913–1917
Saros 139
Metonic series
Tritos series
Inex series
Notes
References Eclipse data, NASA Optical Response of the Atmosphere During the Caribbean Total Solar Eclipses of 26 February 1998 and of 3 February 1916 at Falcón state, Venezuela, Journal Earth, Moon, and Planets, Volume 91, Number 3 / November, 2002