Solar Eclipse Prime Page

Total Solar Eclipse of -1978 Oct 16 (1979 Oct 16 BCE)

Fred Espenak

Introduction

eclipse map


The Total Solar Eclipse of -1978 Oct 16 (1979 Oct 16 BCE) is visible from the geographic regions shown on the map to the right. Click on the map to enlarge it. For an explanation of the features appearing in the map, see Key to Solar Eclipse Maps.

The instant of greatest eclipse takes place on -1978 Oct 16 at 08:01:31 TD (19:16:55 UT1). This is 1.9 days before the Moon reaches perigee. During the eclipse, the Sun is in the constellation Scorpius. The synodic month in which the eclipse takes place has a Brown Lunation Number of -48239.

The eclipse belongs to Saros 2 and is number 50 of 73 eclipses in the series. All eclipses in this series occur at the Moon’s descending node. The Moon moves northward with respect to the node with each succeeding eclipse in the series and gamma increases.

The total solar eclipse of -1978 Oct 16 is followed two weeks later by a partial lunar eclipse on -1978 Oct 30.

These eclipses all take place during a single eclipse season.

The eclipse predictions are given in both Terrestrial Dynamical Time (TD) and Universal Time (UT1). The parameter ΔT is used to convert between these two times (i.e., UT1 = TD - ΔT). ΔT has a value of 45875.1 seconds for this eclipse. The uncertainty in ΔT is 3636.7 seconds corresponding to a standard error in longitude of the eclipse path of ± 15.19°.

The following links provide maps and data for the eclipse.

The tables below contain detailed predictions and additional information on the Total Solar Eclipse of -1978 Oct 16 .


Eclipse Data: Total Solar Eclipse of -1978 Oct 16

Eclipse Characteristics
Parameter Value
Eclipse Magnitude 1.02136
Eclipse Obscuration 1.04318
Gamma 0.52349
Conjunction Times
Event Calendar Date and Time Julian Date
Greatest Eclipse -1978 Oct 16 at 08:01:30.5 TD (19:16:55.4 UT1) 998881.303419
Ecliptic Conjunction -1978 Oct 16 at 07:56:01.2 TD (19:11:26.1 UT1) 998881.299607
Equatorial Conjunction -1978 Oct 16 at 07:30:17.7 TD (18:45:42.6 UT1) 998881.281743
Geocentric Coordinates of Sun and Moon
-1978 Oct 16 at 08:01:30.5 TD (19:16:55.4 UT1)
Coordinate Sun Moon
Right Ascension12h23m05.2s12h24m06.9s
Declination-02°33'23.8"-02°06'05.2"
Semi-Diameter 16'15.2" 16'21.9"
Eq. Hor. Parallax 08.9" 1°00'03.8"
Geocentric Libration of Moon
Angle Value
l -2.5°
b -0.6°
c 22.2°
Prediction Paramaters
Paramater Value
Ephemerides JPL DE406
ΔT 45875.1 s
k (penumbra) 0.2725076
k (umbra) 0.2722810
Saros Series 2 (50/73)

Explanation of Solar Eclipse Data Tables

Penumbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes: Total Solar Eclipse of -1978 Oct 16

Contacts of Penumbral Shadow with Earth
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
First External ContactP105:28:20.816:43:45.749°25.6'N159°08.9'W
Last External ContactP410:34:48.321:50:13.209°42.4'S058°16.6'W
Extreme Northern and Southern Path Limits of Penumbra
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
North Extreme Path Limit 1N106:17:07.417:32:32.328°23.5'N172°54.9'W
South Extreme Path Limit 1S109:45:49.621:01:14.530°47.4'S044°55.7'W

Explanation of Penumbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes Tables

Umbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes: Total Solar Eclipse of -1978 Oct 16

Contacts of Umbral Shadow with Earth
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
First External ContactU106:31:42.717:47:07.661°07.7'N173°19.9'W
First Internal ContactU206:32:06.217:47:31.161°14.4'N173°24.5'W
Last Internal ContactU309:31:11.520:46:36.402°10.5'N042°54.7'W
Last External ContactU409:31:39.020:47:03.902°02.6'N043°01.2'W
Extreme Northern and Southern Path Limits of Umbra
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
North Extreme Path Limit 1N106:32:00.517:47:25.461°17.4'N173°22.5'W
South Extreme Path Limit 1S106:31:48.517:47:13.461°04.7'N173°21.9'W
North Extreme Path Limit 2N209:31:18.220:46:43.102°14.0'N042°56.5'W
South Extreme Path Limit 2S209:31:32.220:46:57.101°59.0'N042°59.3'W

Explanation of Umbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes Tables

Central Line Extremes and Duration: Total Solar Eclipse of -1978 Oct 16

Extreme Limits of the Central Line
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
Extreme Central Line Limit 1C106:31:54.517:47:19.461°11.0'N173°22.2'W
Extreme Central Line Limit 2C209:31:25.320:46:50.202°06.5'N042°58.1'W

Explanation of Central Line Extremes Table

Greatest Eclipse and Greatest Duration
Event Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude Sun
Altitude
Sun
Azimuth
Path Width Central
Duration
Greatest Eclipse08:01:30.519:16:55.424°49.6'N074°25.0'E 58.3° 212.6° 84.3 km01m46.94s
Greatest Duration08:04:12.119:19:37.024°02.1'N093°14.1'W 58.3° 215.5° 84.7 km01m46.99s

Explanation of Greatest Eclipse and Greatest Duration

Polynomial Besselian Elements: Total Solar Eclipse of -1978 Oct 16

Polynomial Besselian Elements
-1978 Oct 16 at 08:00:00.0 TD (=t0)
n x y d l1 l2 μ
0 0.24507 0.46280 -2.5573 0.54447 -0.00168 301.6805
1 0.49502 -0.27971 -0.0164 -0.00009 -0.00009 15.0034
2 0.00001 -0.00002 0.0000 -0.00001 -0.00001 -0.0000
3 -0.00001 0.00000 - - - -
Tan ƒ1 0.0047514
Tan ƒ2 0.0047277

At time t1 (decimal hours), each besselian element is evaluated by:

x = x0 + x1*t + x2*t2 + x3*t3 (or x = Σ [xn*tn]; n = 0 to 3)

where: t = t1 - t0 (decimal hours) and t0 = 8.000

Explanation of Polynomial Besselian Elements

Links for the Total Solar Eclipse of -1978 Oct 16 (1979 Oct 16 BCE)

Links to Additional Solar Eclipse Information

Calendar

The Gregorian calendar (also called the Western calendar) is internationally the most widely used civil calendar. It is named for Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced it in 1582. On this website, the Gregorian calendar is used for all calendar dates from 1582 Oct 15 onwards. Before that date, the Julian calendar is used. For more information on this topic, see Calendar Dates.

The Julian calendar does not include the year 0. Thus the year 1 BCE is followed by the year 1 CE (See: BCE/CE Dating Conventions). This is awkward for arithmetic calculations. Years in this catalog are numbered astronomically and include the year 0. Historians should note there is a difference of one year between astronomical dates and BCE dates. Thus, the astronomical year 0 corresponds to 1 BCE, and astronomical year -1 corresponds to 2 BCE, etc..

Eclipse Predictions

Predictions for the Total Solar Eclipse of -1978 Oct 16 were generated using the JPL DE406 solar and lunar ephemerides. The lunar coordinates were calculated with respect to the Moon's Center of Mass. The predictions are given in both Terrestrial Dynamical Time (TD) and Universal Time (UT1). The parameter ΔT is used to convert between these two times (i.e., UT1 = TD - ΔT). ΔT has a value of 45875.1 seconds for this eclipse. The uncertainty in ΔT is 3636.7 seconds corresponding to a standard error in longitude of the eclipse path of ± 15.19°.

Acknowledgments

Some of the content on this website is based on the book Thousand Year Canon of Solar Eclipses 1501 to 2500. All eclipse calculations are by Fred Espenak, and he assumes full responsibility for their accuracy.

Permission is granted to reproduce eclipse data when accompanied by a link to this page and an acknowledgment:

"Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, www.EclipseWise.com"

The use of diagrams and maps is permitted provided that they are NOT altered (except for re-sizing) and the embedded credit line is NOT removed or covered.