A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Saturday, January 22, 1898. 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 1.8 days after perigee (on January 20, 1898, at 12:30 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
The path of totality was visible from parts of the Royal Niger Company, Kamerun, Upper Ubanghi, British East Africa, Abyssinia, Italian Somaliland, Hindustan, Nepal, and the Chinese Empire. A partial solar eclipse was also visible for much of Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Observations 1.5 second exposure9 second exposureWide view of streamers with the planet VenusSketch There were two organised expeditions to India to observe this eclipse. One was from the British Astronomical Association and the other was led by K D Naegamvala of the Maharaja Taihtasingji Observatory.
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.
+January 22, 1898 Solar Eclipse Times Event Time (UTC) First Penumbral External Contact 1898 January 22 at 04:45:48.1 UTC First Umbral External Contact 1898 January 22 at 05:48:14.1 UTC First Central Line 1898 January 22 at 05:48:33.2 UTC First Umbral Internal Contact 1898 January 22 at 05:48:52.2 UTC Greatest Duration 1898 January 22 at 07:14:10.5 UTC Greatest Eclipse 1898 January 22 at 07:19:11.8 UTC Ecliptic Conjunction 1898 January 22 at 07:24:30.5 UTC Equatorial Conjunction 1898 January 22 at 07:37:20.4 UTC Last Umbral Internal Contact 1898 January 22 at 08:49:22.0 UTC Last Central Line 1898 January 22 at 08:49:39.2 UTC Last Umbral External Contact 1898 January 22 at 08:49:56.3 UTC Last Penumbral External Contact 1898 January 22 at 09:52:32.1 UTC
+January 22, 1898 Solar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Eclipse Magnitude 1.02440 Eclipse Obscuration 1.04940 Gamma 0.50791 Sun Right Ascension 20h18m29.6s Sun Declination -19°38'50.6" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'14.8" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 20h17m48.1s Moon Declination -19°09'57.2" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'24.3" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°00'12.5" ΔT -4.9 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 1898 January 8Descending node (full moon) January 22Ascending node (new moon) Partial lunar eclipseLunar Saros 113 Total solar eclipseSolar Saros 139
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1898 A partial lunar eclipse on January 8. A total solar eclipse on January 22. A partial lunar eclipse on July 3. An annular solar eclipse on July 18. A partial solar eclipse on December 13. A total lunar eclipse on December 27.
Metonic Preceded by: Solar eclipse of April 6, 1894 Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 11, 1901
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 12, 1890 Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 6, 1905
Half-Saros Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 17, 1889 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 29, 1907
Tritos Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 22, 1887 Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 23, 1908
Solar Saros 139 Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 11, 1880 Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 3, 1916
Inex Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 11, 1869 Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 3, 1927
Triad Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 24, 1811 Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 22, 1984
Solar eclipses of 1895–1899
The partial solar eclipses on March 26, 1895 and September 18, 1895 occur in the previous lunar year eclipse set, and the partial solar eclipse on December 13, 1898 occurs in the next lunar year eclipse set.
Solar eclipse series sets from 1895 to 1899 Descending node Ascending node Saros Map Gamma Saros Map Gamma 114 August 20, 1895Partial 1.3911 119 February 13, 1896Annular −0.9220 124 August 9, 1896Total 0.6964 129 February 1, 1897Annular −0.1903 134 July 29, 1897Annular −0.0640 139 January 22, 1898Total 0.5079 144 July 18, 1898Annular −0.8546 149 January 11, 1899Partial 1.1558
Saros 139
Metonic series
Tritos series
Inex series
References
NASA graphic Googlemap NASA Besselian elements
The Indian eclipse, 1898 : report of the expeditions organized by the British Astronomical Association to observe the total solar eclipse of 1898 January 22 / edited by E. Walter Maunder.
Photo of Solar Corona January 22, 1898