Solar eclipse of October 12, 1939

{{Infobox solar eclipse|1939Oct12

| previous = Solar eclipse of April 19, 1939

| next = Solar eclipse of April 7, 1940

}}

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Thursday, October 12, 1939,{{cite web|title=October 12, 1939 Total Solar Eclipse|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/1939-october-12|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=3 August 2024}} with a magnitude of 1.0266. 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 October 11, 1939, at 2:30 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.{{cite web|title=Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/distance.html?year=1939&n=136|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=3 August 2024}}

Totality was visible for a part of Antarctica. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of Eastern Australia, Oceania, extreme southern South America, and Antarctica.

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 1939 Oct 12|url=https://eclipsewise.com/solar/SEprime/1901-2000/SE1939Oct12Tprime.html|publisher=EclipseWise.com|access-date=3 August 2024}}

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|+October 12, 1939 Solar Eclipse Times

! Event

! Time (UTC)

First Penumbral External Contact

| 1939 October 12 at 18:35:06.1 UTC

First Umbral External Contact

| 1939 October 12 at 20:14:48.5 UTC

First Central Line

| 1939 October 12 at 20:17:38.1 UTC

First Umbral Internal Contact

| 1939 October 12 at 20:20:50.7 UTC

Ecliptic Conjunction

| 1939 October 12 at 20:30:28.6 UTC

Greatest Duration

| 1939 October 12 at 20:39:46.3 UTC

Greatest Eclipse

| 1939 October 12 at 20:40:23.4 UTC

Equatorial Conjunction

| 1939 October 12 at 21:11:17.5 UTC

Last Umbral Internal Contact

| 1939 October 12 at 20:59:35.3 UTC

Last Central Line

| 1939 October 12 at 21:02:46.1 UTC

Last Umbral External Contact

| 1939 October 12 at 21:05:33.9 UTC

Last Penumbral External Contact

| 1939 October 12 at 22:45:29.8 UTC

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|+October 12, 1939 Solar Eclipse Parameters

! Parameter

! Value

Eclipse Magnitude

| 1.02657

Eclipse Obscuration

| 1.05385

Gamma

| −0.97370

Sun Right Ascension

| 13h08m41.4s

Sun Declination

| -07°17'47.8"

Sun Semi-Diameter

| 16'01.7"

Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

| 08.8"

Moon Right Ascension

| 13h07m33.1s

Moon Declination

| -08°13'46.1"

Moon Semi-Diameter

| 16'24.2"

Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

| 1°00'12.1"

ΔT

| 24.3 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 October 1939

! October 12
Ascending node (new moon) !! October 28
Descending node (full moon)

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| Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 123

Partial lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 135