Solar Eclipse Prime Page

Total Solar Eclipse of -1985 Mar 11 (1986 Mar 11 BCE)

Fred Espenak

Introduction

eclipse map

The Total Solar Eclipse of -1985 Mar 11 (1986 Mar 11 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 -1985 Mar 11 at 03:25:22 TD (14:37:43 UT1). This is 1.8 days after the Moon reaches perigee. During the eclipse, the Sun is in the constellation Aries. The synodic month in which the eclipse takes place has a Brown Lunation Number of -48333.

The eclipse belongs to Saros -2 and is number 58 of 75 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 solar eclipse of -1985 Mar 11 is a relatively long total eclipse with a duration at greatest eclipse of 04m29s. It has an eclipse magnitude of 1.0490.

The total solar eclipse of -1985 Mar 11 is followed two weeks later by a partial lunar eclipse on -1985 Mar 26.

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 46059.0 seconds for this eclipse. The uncertainty in ΔT is 3668.3 seconds corresponding to a standard error in longitude of the eclipse path of ± 15.33°.

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 -1985 Mar 11 .

Eclipse Data: Total Solar Eclipse of -1985 Mar 11

Eclipse Characteristics
Parameter Value
Eclipse Magnitude 1.04899
Eclipse Obscuration 1.10037
Gamma 0.53110
Conjunction Times
Event Calendar Date and Time Julian Date
Greatest Eclipse -1985 Mar 11 at 03:25:21.6 TD (14:37:42.5 UT1) 996105.109520
Ecliptic Conjunction -1985 Mar 11 at 03:19:53.0 TD (14:32:13.9 UT1) 996105.105717
Equatorial Conjunction -1985 Mar 11 at 03:41:15.2 TD (14:53:36.1 UT1) 996105.120557
Geocentric Coordinates of Sun and Moon
-1985 Mar 11 at 03:25:21.6 TD (14:37:42.5 UT1)
Coordinate Sun Moon
Right Ascension22h19m23.8s22h18m48.2s
Declination-10°40'27.2"-10°09'46.5"
Semi-Diameter 15'51.8" 16'24.4"
Eq. Hor. Parallax 08.7" 1°00'12.9"
Geocentric Libration of Moon
Angle Value
l 4.1°
b -0.6°
c -23.2°
Prediction Paramaters
Paramater Value
Ephemerides JPL DE406
ΔT 46059.0 s
k (penumbra) 0.2725076
k (umbra) 0.2722810
Saros Series -2 (58/75)

Explanation of Solar Eclipse Data Tables

Penumbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes: Total Solar Eclipse of -1985 Mar 11

Contacts of Penumbral Shadow with Earth
Contact Event Contact Time
TD		 Time
UT1		 Latitude Longitude
First External ContactP100:54:02.712:06:23.704°15.4'N086°30.9'W
Last External ContactP405:56:36.717:08:57.735°36.7'N009°17.1'E
Extreme Northern and Southern Path Limits of Penumbra
Contact Event Contact Time
TD		 Time
UT1		 Latitude Longitude
North Extreme Path Limit 1N101:45:09.312:57:30.215°57.6'S103°12.0'W
South Extreme Path Limit 1S105:05:36.416:17:57.415°29.4'N026°47.0'E

Explanation of Penumbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes Tables

Umbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes: Total Solar Eclipse of -1985 Mar 11

Contacts of Umbral Shadow with Earth
Contact Event Contact Time
TD		 Time
UT1		 Latitude Longitude
First External ContactU101:55:23.313:07:44.215°40.1'N099°37.4'W
First Internal ContactU201:57:37.113:09:58.016°18.4'N100°03.1'W
Last Internal ContactU304:52:56.616:05:17.647°28.0'N021°06.3'E
Last External ContactU404:55:07.016:07:27.946°51.5'N020°48.9'E
Extreme Northern and Southern Path Limits of Umbra
Contact Event Contact Time
TD		 Time
UT1		 Latitude Longitude
North Extreme Path Limit 1N101:57:01.913:09:22.916°35.1'N099°50.8'W
South Extreme Path Limit 1S101:55:59.313:08:20.315°23.2'N099°49.9'W
North Extreme Path Limit 2N204:53:30.816:05:51.747°43.9'N020°51.0'E
South Extreme Path Limit 2S204:54:32.016:06:53.046°35.5'N021°04.1'E

Explanation of Umbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes Tables

Central Line Extremes and Duration: Total Solar Eclipse of -1985 Mar 11

Extreme Limits of the Central Line
Contact Event Contact Time
TD		 Time
UT1		 Latitude Longitude
Extreme Central Line Limit 1C101:56:30.113:08:51.015°59.0'N099°50.3'W
Extreme Central Line Limit 2C204:54:01.916:06:22.947°09.6'N020°57.7'E

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 Eclipse03:25:21.614:37:42.520°19.0'N123°28.1'E 57.8° 163.4° 190.9 km04m28.58s
Greatest Duration03:22:14.214:34:35.219°49.8'N045°03.2'W 57.7° 160.1° 191.7 km04m28.73s

Explanation of Greatest Eclipse and Greatest Duration

Polynomial Besselian Elements: Total Solar Eclipse of -1985 Mar 11

Polynomial Besselian Elements
-1985 Mar 11 at 03:00:00.0 TD (=t0)
n x y d l1 l2 μ
0 -0.37813 0.44444 -10.6816 0.53723 -0.00888 221.2565
1 0.54998 0.15684 0.0145 0.00009 0.00009 15.0042
2 -0.00001 0.00004 0.0000 -0.00001 -0.00001 0.0000
3 -0.00001 -0.00000 - - - -
Tan ƒ1 0.0046375
Tan ƒ2 0.0046144

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 = 3.000

Explanation of Polynomial Besselian Elements

Links for the Total Solar Eclipse of -1985 Mar 11 (1986 Mar 11 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 -1985 Mar 11 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 46059.0 seconds for this eclipse. The uncertainty in ΔT is 3668.3 seconds corresponding to a standard error in longitude of the eclipse path of ± 15.33°.

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.