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solar eclipse of February 26, 1979

{{Short description|Total eclipse in North America}}

{{Infobox solar eclipse|1979Feb26

| previous = Solar eclipse of October 2, 1978

| next = Solar eclipse of August 22, 1979

}}

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Monday, February 26, 1979,{{cite web|title=February 26, 1979 Total Solar Eclipse|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/1979-february-26|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=8 August 2024}} with a magnitude of 1.0391. A solar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon that 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 19 hours after perigee (on February 25, 1979, at 22:20 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=1979&n=136|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=8 August 2024}}

The central shadow of the Moon passed through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana (where totality covered almost the entire state), North Dakota, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, the Northwest Territories of Canada (the portion that is now Nunavut), and Greenland. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Western Europe.

Visibility

File:Solar eclipse animate (1979-Feb-26).gif

=United States=

Many visitors traveled to the Pacific Northwest to view the Monday morning eclipse,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qVQgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=79IEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4277,5082143|newspaper=Daytona Beach Morning Journal |agency=New York Times|title=Eclipse chased across Northwest |date=February 27, 1979 |page=1A }} as it was the last chance to view a total solar eclipse in the contiguous United States for 38 years, 5 months, 26 days. The next opportunity was on August 21, 2017. Several cities, including Lewiston, Idaho, and Goldendale, Washington, organized viewing events amid an expected bump in tourist traffic. Television station KING-TV of Seattle produced a live broadcast of the eclipse from Goldendale and other cities in the Northwest.{{cite news |last=Nast |first=Stan |date=February 26, 1979 |title=The Big Eclipse Cover-up |page=1 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}

Although the path of totality passed through Portland shortly after sunrise (maximum at {{nowrap|8:14 am PST),{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HvZLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9O0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7350%2C4808859 |work=The Spokesman-Review |title=Total Eclipse |date=February 25, 1979 |page=6}}}} it was not directly observable due to overcast skies in northwestern Oregon.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=v_JVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_uEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3215%2C7830789|newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard|agency=Associated Press|title=Thick clouds hide eclipse from many |date=February 26, 1979 |page=1A}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rfpLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FPkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6742%2C2592528 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |agency=Associated Press |title=Sun gives a wink to Northwest U.S. |date=February 26, 1979 |page=1}} At the Goldendale Observatory State Park in Washington, an estimated 10,000 people were able to view the eclipse after the overcast skies parted during totality.{{cite news |last=Hahn |first=Jon |date=February 27, 1979 |title=Goldendale's Heavens Opened For a Totaling Experience |page=A1 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}{{cite news |last=Richards |first=Leverett |date=February 27, 1979 |title=Moon devours sun above overcast NW |page=A1 |work=The Oregonian}} Over 1,000 aircraft were guided around the path of totality by local air traffic control offices; the volume of flights in the area caused delays to passenger service at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport and Portland International Airport.{{cite news |last=Crick |first=Rolla J. |date=February 26, 1979 |title=Sun watchers crowd skies |page=9 |work=The Oregon Journal}}{{cite news |date=February 26, 1979 |title=Skies in path of eclipse aswarm with aircraft |page=A14 |work=The Seattle Times}} The Seattle-based Pacific Science Center chartered a Boeing 727 with 94 passengers to chase the eclipse.{{cite news |last=Connolly |first=Patrick |date=February 26, 1979 |title=Eclipse viewers aboard 727 play musical chairs |page=A14 |work=The Seattle Times}}

=Canada=

About a half hour later, the path of totality was in Manitoba and passed through cloudless Winnipeg in the late morning, maximum was at {{nowrap|10:48 am CST.}}{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1979/02/27/page/2/article/2-500-watch |work=Chicago Tribune |last=Van |first=Jon |title=Eclipse turns morning to night at 10:48 am|date=February 27, 1979 |page=2, sec. 1}} The greatest eclipse occurred seven minutes later at 10:55 am CST.

Canada's next total solar eclipse took place on August 1, 2008, after which Canada did not see another total solar eclipse until April 8, 2024.{{Cite web |last=Dickinson |first=Terence |date=August 3, 2017 |title=Canada's last solar eclipse in 1979 |url=http://www.macleans.ca/archives/from-1979-terence-dickinson-on-canadas-last-major-solar-eclipse/ |url-status=live |publisher=Maclean's |archivedate=August 12, 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812192951/http://www.macleans.ca/archives/from-1979-terence-dickinson-on-canadas-last-major-solar-eclipse/ |accessdate=August 24, 2017}}

Observations

Portland, Oregon was the largest city within the path of totality. However, the thick clouds made observation unsuccessful. Only some areas outside the city could see the sun through the holes in the clouds. There were also charter flights allowing passengers to observe from the air.{{cite news|title=Thick clouds hide eclipse from many|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=v_JVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_uEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3215,7830789|work=The Register-Guard|date=26 February 1979|page=1|archive-date=18 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018223006/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=v_JVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_uEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3215,7830789}} Clouds covered most areas of the states of Oregon and Washington, and there were some clouds in western Montana. Observations were successful in places including North Dakota.{{cite journal|title=Tracking Our Last Eclipse of the Century|journal=Life|url=http://library.williams.edu/assets/images/life-april-1979.pdf|date=April 1979|pages=110-118|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313122803/http://library.williams.edu/assets/images/life-april-1979.pdf|archivedate=13 March 2016}}{{cite news|title=Eclipse Chased Across Northwest|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qVQgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=79IEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4277,5082143|work=The Daytona Beach News-Journal|date=27 February 1979|page=1}} Jay Pasachoff led a team from Williams College in Massachusetts to Brandon University in Manitoba, Canada and successfully observed the total eclipse there.{{cite web|title=1979, Manitoba, Canada|url=http://web.williams.edu/Astronomy/eclipse/eclipse1979/|publisher=Williams College|archive-date=4 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804032104/https://web.williams.edu/Astronomy/eclipse/eclipse1979/}}

In literature

Writer Annie Dillard viewed the eclipse from the Yakima River Valley in central Washington state. She described her impressions of the eclipse in an essay, "Total Eclipse," first published in the magazine Antaeus and then in her collection, Teaching a Stone to Talk (1982). It was later selected for inclusion in The Best American Essays of the [20th] Century (2000).{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bestamericane00oate|title=The Best American Essays of the Century|last=Atwan|first=Robert|date=2001-10-10|publisher=Mariner Books|isbn=9780618155873|editor-last=Oates|editor-first=Joyce Carol|edition=Reprint|language=English|url-access=registration}} Dillard describes a nearly overwhelming emotional experience, as suggested in this quotation: "I pray you will never see anything more awful in the sky." Describing the reactions of other onlookers, she relates "I heard screams."

The 1979 eclipse was also referenced in the opening pages of Douglas Coupland's novel, Generation X.

File:1979 eclipse 3.tif|Totality from Bozeman, Montana

File:Eclipse (42990999524).jpg|Projected partial eclipse from Scenic, South Dakota

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 |last=Espenak |first=Fred |title=Total Solar Eclipse of 1979 Feb 26 |url=https://eclipsewise.com/solar/SEprime/1901-2000/SE1979Feb26Tprime.html |access-date=8 August 2024 |publisher=EclipseWise.com}}

class="wikitable" align="{{{align|left}}}" style="margin:{{#ifeq:{{{align}}}|left|0 0 0.5em 1em|0 1em 0.5em 0}}"

|+February 26, 1979 Solar Eclipse Times

! Event

! Time (UTC)

First Penumbral External Contact

| 1979 February 26 at 14:46:04.0 UTC

First Umbral External Contact

| 1979 February 26 at 16:08:06.6 UTC

First Central Line

| 1979 February 26 at 16:10:02.8 UTC

First Umbral Internal Contact

| 1979 February 26 at 16:12:03.2 UTC

Ecliptic Conjunction

| 1979 February 26 at 16:46:02.6 UTC

Greatest Duration

| 1979 February 26 at 16:54:19.3 UTC

Greatest Eclipse

| 1979 February 26 at 16:55:05.7 UTC

Equatorial Conjunction

| 1979 February 26 at 17:22:11.4 UTC

Last Umbral Internal Contact

| 1979 February 26 at 17:37:49.2 UTC

Last Central Line

| 1979 February 26 at 17:39:48.9 UTC

Last Umbral External Contact

| 1979 February 26 at 17:41:44.4 UTC

Last Penumbral External Contact

| 1979 February 26 at 19:03:56.4 UTC

class="wikitable" align="{{{align|right}}}" style="margin:{{#ifeq:{{{align}}}|right|0 0 0.5em 1em|0 1em 0.5em 0}}"

|+February 26, 1979 Solar Eclipse Parameters

! Parameter

! Value

Eclipse Magnitude

| 1.03907

Eclipse Obscuration

| 1.07966

Gamma

| 0.89811

Sun Right Ascension

| 22h36m45.5s

Sun Declination

| -08°45'23.7"

Sun Semi-Diameter

| 16'09.1"

Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

| 08.9"

Moon Right Ascension

| 22h35m43.5s

Moon Declination

| -07°52'47.4"

Moon Semi-Diameter

| 16'39.8"

Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

| 1°01'09.4"

ΔT

| 49.7 s

{{clear}}

Eclipse season

{{See also|Eclipse cycle}}

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.

class="wikitable"

|+ Eclipse season of February–March 1979

! February 26
Descending node (new moon)
!! March 13
Ascending node (full moon)

200px200px
align=center

| Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 120

Partial lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 132

Related eclipses

= Eclipses in 1979 =

= Metonic =

= Tzolkinex =

= Half-Saros =

= Tritos =

= Solar Saros 120 =

= Inex =

= Triad =

= Solar eclipses of 1979–1982 =

{{Solar eclipse set 1979–1982}}

= Saros 120 =

{{Solar Saros series 120}}

= Metonic series =

{{Solar Metonic series 1971–2047}}

= Tritos series =

{{Solar Tritos series 2000 December 25}}

= Inex series =

{{Solar Inex series 2008 February 7}}

Notes

{{reflist|2}}

References

{{Solar eclipse NASA reference|1951/SE1979Feb26T|1979Feb26}}

  • [http://www.eclipse.org.uk/eclipse/0111979/ eclipse.org.uk Total Eclipse of the Sun: 1979 February 26] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060328051052/http://www.eclipse.org.uk/eclipse/0111979/ |date=2006-03-28 }}
  • [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1978JRASC..72..149E Predictions for the 1979 solar eclipse Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Journal, vol. 72, June 1978, pp. 149–161] Fred Espenak

External links

Photos/observations:

  • [http://www.eclipsechaser.com/eclink/ecjrnl/ecj79.htm Eclipse Chaser's Journal: Part 1, My First Total Solar Eclipse: February 26. 1979, Jeffrey R. Charles]
  • http://nicmosis.as.arizona.edu:8000/ECLIPSE_WEB/ECLIPSE_79/ECLIPSE_79.html
  • [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAacZoIJUN0 1979 Solar Eclipse – ABC News Coverage] Excerpts from an ABC News Special Report that aired at 11:00–11:29 a.m. EST on Monday, Feb. 26, 1979
  • [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWIFqoldhfU 1979 Total Solar Eclipse Report on CBS News with Walter Cronkite] The February 26, 1979, total solar eclipse story as reported on the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite.
  • [http://www.mreclipse.com/SEphoto/SEgallery1/SEgallery1.html Solar Eclipse Photo Gallery 1, 1970 – 1984] Fred Espenak
  • [http://www.williams.edu/astronomy/eclipse/eclipse1979/1979_page2.htm Solar eclipse 1979, Manitoba, Canada]

Narrative Descriptions:

  • [https://faculty.etsu.edu/odonnell/readings/dillard_eclipse.pdf Total Eclipse, Annie Dillard]

{{Solar eclipses}}

{{Commons category|Solar eclipse of 1979 February 26}}

1979 02 26

1979 02 26

Category:1979 in science

Category:February 1979