Solar Eclipse Prime Page

Annular Solar Eclipse of 1991 Jan 15

Fred Espenak

Key to Solar Eclipse Figure (below)

Introduction


The Annular Solar Eclipse of 1991 Jan 15 is visible from the following geographic regions:

  • Partial Eclipse: Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, south Pacific
  • Annular Eclipse: southwest Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, south Pacific

The map to the right depicts the geographic regions of eclipse visibility. 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 1991 Jan 15 at 23:53:51 TD (23:52:54 UT1). This is 3.5 days after the Moon reaches apogee. During the eclipse, the Sun is in the constellation Sagittarius. The synodic month in which the eclipse takes place has a Brown Lunation Number of 842.

The eclipse belongs to Saros 131 and is number 49 of 70 eclipses in the series. All eclipses in this series occur at the Moon’s ascending node. The Moon moves southward with respect to the node with each succeeding eclipse in the series and gamma decreases.

The solar eclipse of 1991 Jan 15 is a relatively long annular eclipse with a duration at greatest eclipse of 07m53s. It has an eclipse magnitude of 0.9290.

The annular solar eclipse of 1991 Jan 15 is followed two weeks later by a penumbral lunar eclipse on 1991 Jan 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 57.6 seconds for this eclipse.

The following links provide maps and data for the eclipse.

Eclipse Data: Annular Solar Eclipse of 1991 Jan 15

Eclipse Characteristics
Parameter Value
Eclipse Magnitude 0.92901
Eclipse Obscuration 0.86306
Gamma-0.27275
Conjunction Times
Event Calendar Date and Time Julian Date
Greatest Eclipse 1991 Jan 15 at 23:53:51.3 TD (23:52:53.8 UT1) 2448272.495067
Ecliptic Conjunction 1991 Jan 15 at 23:50:36.9 TD (23:49:39.3 UT1) 2448272.492816
Equatorial Conjunction 1991 Jan 15 at 23:44:29.4 TD (23:43:31.9 UT1) 2448272.488563
Geocentric Coordinates of Sun and Moon
1991 Jan 15 at 23:53:51.3 TD (23:52:53.8 UT1)
Coordinate Sun Moon
Right Ascension19h49m11.2s19h49m29.1s
Declination-21°04'21.2"-21°18'36.9"
Semi-Diameter 16'15.5" 14'53.1"
Eq. Hor. Parallax 08.9" 0°54'37.7"
Geocentric Libration of Moon
Angle Value
l -3.2°
b 0.4°
c -9.0°
Prediction Parameters
Paramater Value
Ephemerides JPL DE405
ΔT 57.6 s
k (penumbra) 0.2725076
k (umbra) 0.2722810
Saros Series 131 (49/70)

Explanation of Solar Eclipse Data Tables

Penumbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes: Annular Solar Eclipse of 1991 Jan 15

Contacts of Penumbral Shadow with Earth
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
First External ContactP120:51:57.920:51:00.324°28.8'S129°29.6'E
First Internal ContactP223:15:21.523:14:24.050°51.2'S075°30.4'E
Last Internal ContactP300:32:36.200:31:38.621°46.4'S086°41.4'W
Last External ContactP402:55:44.002:54:46.405°57.2'N133°37.1'W
Extreme Northern and Southern Path Limits of Penumbra
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
North Extreme Path Limit 1N121:48:48.521:47:50.900°30.8'N125°36.0'E
South Extreme Path Limit 1S122:56:48.222:55:50.763°45.7'S056°57.4'E
North Extreme Path Limit 2N201:58:42.401:57:44.830°48.3'N130°20.1'W
South Extreme Path Limit 2S200:51:15.700:50:18.138°04.4'S082°38.7'W

Explanation of Penumbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes Tables

Umbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes: Annular Solar Eclipse of 1991 Jan 15

Contacts of Umbral Shadow with Earth
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
First External ContactU121:57:45.621:56:48.029°29.4'S110°34.1'E
First Internal ContactU222:04:00.122:03:02.530°15.0'S108°36.5'E
Last Internal ContactU301:43:50.201:42:52.700°04.0'N113°22.5'W
Last External ContactU401:50:00.301:49:02.700°50.3'N115°12.7'W
Extreme Northern and Southern Path Limits of Umbra
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
North Extreme Path Limit 1N121:59:33.621:58:36.028°29.6'S110°37.9'E
South Extreme Path Limit 1S122:02:15.522:01:17.931°14.0'S108°31.0'E
North Extreme Path Limit 2N201:48:13.201:47:15.601°50.9'N115°09.3'W
South Extreme Path Limit 2S201:45:34.201:44:36.600°56.2'S113°25.1'W

Explanation of Umbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes Tables

Central Line Extremes and Duration: Annular Solar Eclipse of 1991 Jan 15

Extreme Limits of the Central Line
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
Extreme Central Line Limit 1C122:00:52.721:59:55.129°51.6'S109°35.7'E
Extreme Central Line Limit 2C201:46:55.501:45:57.900°27.7'N114°17.8'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 Eclipse23:53:51.323:52:53.836°22.4'S170°24.7'W 74.0° 341.3° 276.6 km07m52.69s
Greatest Duration23:40:06.123:39:08.538°24.0'S175°02.2'W 72.5° 8.2° 275.9 km07m54.61s

Explanation of Greatest Eclipse and Greatest Duration

Polynomial Besselian Elements: Annular Solar Eclipse of 1991 Jan 15

Polynomial Besselian Elements
1991 Jan 16 at 00:00:00.0 TD (=t0)
n x y d l1 l2 μ
0 0.12669 -0.24713 -21.0712 0.57169 0.02541 177.6329
1 0.49010 0.14324 0.0074 -0.00008 -0.00007 14.9976
2 -0.00003 0.00015 0.0000 -0.00001 -0.00001 0.0000
3 -0.00001 -0.00000 - - - -
Tan ƒ1 0.0047542
Tan ƒ2 0.0047306

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 = 0.000

Explanation of Polynomial Besselian Elements

Eclipse Publications

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For more visit: AstroPixels Publishing

Links for the Annular Solar Eclipse of 1991 Jan 15

Links to Additional Solar Eclipse Information

  • Home - home page of EclipseWise with predictions for both solar and lunar eclipses

Decade Tables of Solar Eclipses:
| 1901 - 1910 | 1911 - 1919 | 1921 - 1930 | 1931 - 1940 | 1941 - 1950 |
| 1951 - 1960 | 1961 - 1970 | 1971 - 1980 | 1981 - 1990 | 1991 - 2000 |
| 2001 - 2010 | 2011 - 2020 | 2021 - 2030 | 2031 - 2040 | 2041 - 2050 |
| 2051 - 2060 | 2061 - 2070 | 2071 - 2080 | 2081 - 2090 | 2091 - 2100 |

Solar Eclipse Publications

Eclipse Publications

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jpeg jpeg
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For more visit: AstroPixels Publishing

Eclipse Predictions

Predictions for the Annular Solar Eclipse of 1991 Jan 15 were generated using the JPL DE405 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 57.6 seconds for this eclipse.

Acknowledgments

Some of the content on this website is based on the books 21st Century Canon of Solar Eclipses and 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 concealed.