A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Monday, September 21, 1903, with a magnitude of 1.0316. 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 2.1 days after perigee (on September 19, 1904, at 2:00 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
The path of totality crossed Antarctica and the south Indian Ocean. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of Southeast Africa, Southern Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica.
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.
+September 21, 1903 Solar Eclipse Times Event Time (UTC) First Penumbral External Contact 1903 September 21 at 02:27:46.5 UTC First Umbral External Contact 1903 September 21 at 03:52:01.4 UTC First Central Line 1903 September 21 at 03:53:33.3 UTC First Umbral Internal Contact 1903 September 21 at 03:55:07.6 UTC Ecliptic Conjunction 1903 September 21 at 04:30:40.1 UTC Greatest Duration 1903 September 21 at 04:38:45.6 UTC Greatest Eclipse 1903 September 21 at 04:39:51.9 UTC Equatorial Conjunction 1903 September 21 at 05:10:23.8 UTC Last Umbral Internal Contact 1903 September 21 at 05:24:15.9 UTC Last Central Line 1903 September 21 at 05:25:48.2 UTC Last Umbral External Contact 1903 September 21 at 05:27:18.0 UTC Last Penumbral External Contact 1903 September 21 at 06:51:47.0 UTC
+September 21, 1903 Solar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Eclipse Magnitude 1.03156 Eclipse Obscuration 1.06411 Gamma −0.89674 Sun Right Ascension 11h49m03.6s Sun Declination +01°11'08.7" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'55.9" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.8" Moon Right Ascension 11h47m57.9s Moon Declination +00°20'09.1" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'19.2" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°59'53.7" ΔT 2.2 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 September–October 1903 September 21Ascending node (new moon) October 6Descending node (full moon) Total solar eclipseSolar Saros 123 Partial lunar eclipseLunar Saros 135
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1903 An annular solar eclipse on March 29. A partial lunar eclipse on April 12. A total solar eclipse on September 21. A partial lunar eclipse on October 6.
Metonic Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 3, 1899 Followed by: Solar eclipse of July 10, 1907
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 9, 1896 Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 2, 1910
Half-Saros Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 15, 1894 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 26, 1912
Tritos Preceded by: Solar eclipse of October 20, 1892 Followed by: Solar eclipse of August 21, 1914
Solar Saros 123 Preceded by: Solar eclipse of September 8, 1885 Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 1, 1921
Inex Preceded by: Solar eclipse of October 10, 1874 Followed by: Solar eclipse of August 31, 1932
Triad Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 19, 1816 Followed by: Solar eclipse of July 22, 1990
Solar eclipses of 1902–1906
Saros 123
Metonic series
Tritos series
Inex series
Notes
References