Solar Eclipse Prime Page

Total Solar Eclipse of 1976 Oct 23

Fred Espenak

Key to Solar Eclipse Figure (below)

Introduction


The Total Solar Eclipse of 1976 Oct 23 is visible from the following geographic regions:

  • Partial Eclipse: east Africa, India, East Indies, Australia, New Zealand
  • Total Eclipse: Tanzania, southeast Australia

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 1976 Oct 23 at 05:13:45 TD (05:12:58 UT1). This is 0.3 days before the Moon reaches perigee. During the eclipse, the Sun is in the constellation Virgo. The synodic month in which the eclipse takes place has a Brown Lunation Number of 666.

The eclipse belongs to Saros 133 and is number 43 of 72 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 1976 Oct 23 is a relatively long total eclipse with a duration at greatest eclipse of 04m46s. It has an eclipse magnitude of 1.0572.

The total solar eclipse of 1976 Oct 23 is followed two weeks later by a penumbral lunar eclipse on 1976 Nov 06.

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 47.3 seconds for this eclipse.

The following links provide maps and data for the eclipse.

Eclipse Data: Total Solar Eclipse of 1976 Oct 23

Eclipse Characteristics
Parameter Value
Eclipse Magnitude 1.05716
Eclipse Obscuration 1.11758
Gamma-0.32699
Conjunction Times
Event Calendar Date and Time Julian Date
Greatest Eclipse 1976 Oct 23 at 05:13:45.3 TD (05:12:58.0 UT1) 2443074.717338
Ecliptic Conjunction 1976 Oct 23 at 05:10:25.1 TD (05:09:37.8 UT1) 2443074.715021
Equatorial Conjunction 1976 Oct 23 at 05:22:43.8 TD (05:21:56.5 UT1) 2443074.723570
Geocentric Coordinates of Sun and Moon
1976 Oct 23 at 05:13:45.3 TD (05:12:58.0 UT1)
Coordinate Sun Moon
Right Ascension13h51m21.8s13h51m00.8s
Declination-11°26'48.5"-11°46'09.2"
Semi-Diameter 16'04.7" 16'43.4"
Eq. Hor. Parallax 08.8" 1°01'22.6"
Geocentric Libration of Moon
Angle Value
l -0.5°
b 0.5°
c 22.1°
Prediction Parameters
Paramater Value
Ephemerides JPL DE405
ΔT 47.3 s
k (penumbra) 0.2725076
k (umbra) 0.2722810
Saros Series 133 (43/72)

Explanation of Solar Eclipse Data Tables

Penumbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes: Total Solar Eclipse of 1976 Oct 23

Contacts of Penumbral Shadow with Earth
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
First External ContactP102:39:17.502:38:30.202°37.6'N047°00.1'E
First Internal ContactP204:39:57.204:39:09.929°26.6'S009°44.6'E
Last Internal ContactP305:47:19.505:46:32.258°13.7'S161°27.0'W
Last External ContactP407:48:08.107:47:20.826°46.0'S155°07.6'E
Extreme Northern and Southern Path Limits of Penumbra
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
North Extreme Path Limit 1N103:28:07.603:27:20.326°27.0'N040°01.7'E
South Extreme Path Limit 1S104:24:11.204:23:23.943°51.3'S009°02.2'E
North Extreme Path Limit 2N206:59:29.206:58:41.902°57.5'S162°00.7'E
South Extreme Path Limit 2S206:03:00.206:02:12.971°06.9'S148°07.9'W

Explanation of Penumbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes Tables

Umbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes: Total Solar Eclipse of 1976 Oct 23

Contacts of Umbral Shadow with Earth
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
First External ContactU103:35:21.303:34:33.903°53.0'S031°40.1'E
First Internal ContactU203:37:36.603:36:49.304°17.3'S031°01.3'E
Last Internal ContactU306:49:47.006:48:59.733°37.5'S171°35.5'E
Last External ContactU406:52:03.206:51:15.933°13.3'S170°54.3'E
Extreme Northern and Southern Path Limits of Umbra
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
North Extreme Path Limit 1N103:36:02.103:35:14.803°28.0'S031°34.9'E
South Extreme Path Limit 1S103:36:56.703:36:09.404°42.1'S031°06.2'E
North Extreme Path Limit 2N206:51:22.406:50:35.032°48.5'S170°57.3'E
South Extreme Path Limit 2S206:50:27.006:49:39.734°02.1'S171°32.8'E

Explanation of Umbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes Tables

Central Line Extremes and Duration: Total Solar Eclipse of 1976 Oct 23

Extreme Limits of the Central Line
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
Extreme Central Line Limit 1C103:36:28.903:35:41.604°05.0'S031°20.7'E
Extreme Central Line Limit 2C206:50:55.206:50:07.833°25.3'S171°14.8'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 Eclipse05:13:45.305:12:58.029°59.8'S092°16.2'E 70.7° 16.8° 199.1 km04m46.40s
Greatest Duration05:16:15.105:15:27.730°24.1'S093°11.0'E 70.7° 12.0° 198.8 km04m46.48s

Explanation of Greatest Eclipse and Greatest Duration

Polynomial Besselian Elements: Total Solar Eclipse of 1976 Oct 23

Polynomial Besselian Elements
1976 Oct 23 at 05:00:00.0 TD (=t0)
n x y d l1 l2 μ
0 -0.21339 -0.28151 -11.4428 0.53576 -0.01034 258.9096
1 0.56328 -0.15026 -0.0142 -0.00001 -0.00001 15.0028
2 0.00003 0.00009 0.0000 -0.00001 -0.00001 -0.0000
3 -0.00001 0.00000 - - - -
Tan ƒ1 0.0046998
Tan ƒ2 0.0046764

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 = 5.000

Explanation of Polynomial Besselian Elements

Eclipse Publications

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For more visit: AstroPixels Publishing

Links for the Total Solar Eclipse of 1976 Oct 23

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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For more visit: AstroPixels Publishing

Eclipse Predictions

Predictions for the Total Solar Eclipse of 1976 Oct 23 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 47.3 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.