Solar eclipse of February 14, 1934

{{Infobox solar eclipse|1934Feb14

| previous = Solar eclipse of August 21, 1933

| next = Solar eclipse of August 10, 1934

}}

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit between Tuesday, February 13 and Wednesday, February 14, 1934,{{cite web|title=February 13–14, 1934 Total Solar Eclipse|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/1934-february-14|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=3 August 2024}} with a magnitude of 1.0321. 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 only 1.6 days after perigee (on February 12, 1934, at 11:20 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.{{cite web|title=Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/distance.html?year=1934&n=136|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=3 August 2024}}

Totality was visible from the Dutch East Indies (today's Indonesia), Raj of Sarawak (now belonging to Malaysia), and the South Seas Mandate of Japan (the part now belonging to FS Micronesia). A partial eclipse was visible for parts of East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, northern Oceania, Hawaii, and western North America.

The date of this eclipse visible from Asia, February 14, was also Lunar New Year celebrated in multiple countries.

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.{{cite web|title=Total Solar Eclipse of 1934 Feb 14|url=https://eclipsewise.com/solar/SEprime/1901-2000/SE1934Feb14Tprime.html|publisher=EclipseWise.com|access-date=3 August 2024}}

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|+February 14, 1934 Solar Eclipse Times

! Event

! Time (UTC)

First Penumbral External Contact

| 1934 February 13 at 22:05:29.4 UTC

First Umbral External Contact

| 1934 February 13 at 23:06:39.1 UTC

First Central Line

| 1934 February 13 at 23:07:11.7 UTC

First Umbral Internal Contact

| 1934 February 13 at 23:07:44.4 UTC

Greatest Duration

| 1934 February 14 at 00:33:36.8 UTC

Greatest Eclipse

| 1934 February 14 at 00:38:41.4 UTC

Ecliptic Conjunction

| 1934 February 14 at 00:43:45.3 UTC

Equatorial Conjunction

| 1934 February 14 at 01:02:37.9 UTC

Last Umbral Internal Contact

| 1934 February 14 at 02:09:25.3 UTC

Last Central Line

| 1934 February 14 at 02:09:56.3 UTC

Last Umbral External Contact

| 1934 February 14 at 02:10:27.3 UTC

Last Penumbral External Contact

| 1934 February 14 at 03:11:47.3 UTC

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|+February 14, 1934 Solar Eclipse Parameters

! Parameter

! Value

Eclipse Magnitude

| 1.03214

Eclipse Obscuration

| 1.06531

Gamma

| 0.48681

Sun Right Ascension

| 21h47m44.9s

Sun Declination

| -13°18'50.8"

Sun Semi-Diameter

| 16'11.6"

Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

| 08.9"

Moon Right Ascension

| 21h46m53.7s

Moon Declination

| -12°52'16.3"

Moon Semi-Diameter

| 16'28.2"

Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

| 1°00'26.8"

ΔT

| 23.9 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.

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|+ Eclipse season of January–February 1934

! January 30
Descending node (full moon)

February 14
Ascending node (new moon)

200px

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| Partial lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 113

Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 139