Solar Eclipse Prime Page

Hybrid Solar Eclipse of 1987 Mar 29

Fred Espenak

Key to Solar Eclipse Figure (below)

Introduction


The Hybrid Solar Eclipse of 1987 Mar 29 is visible from the following geographic regions:

  • Partial Eclipse: south South America, Africa, Mid East
  • Hybrid Eclipse: Argentina, Gabon, Cameroon, Central A. Rep., Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia

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 1987 Mar 29 at 12:49:47 TD (12:48:52 UT1). This is 4.7 days after the Moon reaches perigee. During the eclipse, the Sun is in the constellation Pisces. The synodic month in which the eclipse takes place has a Brown Lunation Number of 795.

The eclipse belongs to Saros 129 and is number 50 of 80 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 1987 Mar 29 is one of the rare hybrid solar eclipses. In this particular case the eclipse path starts out as annular. Further down the track it changes to total and then back to annular before the path ends. It is a very short hybrid eclipse with a duration at greatest eclipse of 00m08s. The eclipse magnitude is 1.0013, while Gamma has a value of -0.3053.

The hybrid solar eclipse of 1987 Mar 29 is followed two weeks later by a penumbral lunar eclipse on 1987 Apr 14.

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 55.4 seconds for this eclipse.

The following links provide maps and data for the eclipse.

Eclipse Data: Hybrid Solar Eclipse of 1987 Mar 29

Eclipse Characteristics
Parameter Value
Eclipse Magnitude 1.00134
Eclipse Obscuration 1.00267
Gamma-0.30531
Conjunction Times
Event Calendar Date and Time Julian Date
Greatest Eclipse 1987 Mar 29 at 12:49:47.3 TD (12:48:51.8 UT1) 2446884.033933
Ecliptic Conjunction 1987 Mar 29 at 12:46:28.0 TD (12:45:32.6 UT1) 2446884.031628
Equatorial Conjunction 1987 Mar 29 at 12:31:19.9 TD (12:30:24.5 UT1) 2446884.021117
Geocentric Coordinates of Sun and Moon
1987 Mar 29 at 12:49:47.3 TD (12:48:51.8 UT1)
Coordinate Sun Moon
Right Ascension00h30m29.5s00h31m03.7s
Declination+03°17'32.1"+03°02'04.7"
Semi-Diameter 16'01.1" 15'47.7"
Eq. Hor. Parallax 08.8" 0°57'58.2"
Geocentric Libration of Moon
Angle Value
l 4.7°
b 0.4°
c -21.7°
Prediction Parameters
Paramater Value
Ephemerides JPL DE405
ΔT 55.4 s
k (penumbra) 0.2725076
k (umbra) 0.2722810
Saros Series 129 (50/80)

Explanation of Solar Eclipse Data Tables

Penumbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes: Hybrid Solar Eclipse of 1987 Mar 29

Contacts of Penumbral Shadow with Earth
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
First External ContactP110:03:29.810:02:34.440°22.5'S056°37.9'W
First Internal ContactP212:14:03.212:13:07.871°49.1'S081°59.3'W
Last Internal ContactP313:25:55.513:25:00.113°57.5'S069°09.4'E
Last External ContactP415:36:18.115:35:22.717°36.7'N038°26.1'E
Extreme Northern and Southern Path Limits of Penumbra
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
North Extreme Path Limit 1N111:05:04.011:04:08.514°48.2'S073°55.9'W
South Extreme Path Limit 1S111:52:54.211:51:58.886°10.4'S027°51.1'W
North Extreme Path Limit 2N214:34:19.514:33:24.143°11.5'N055°59.9'E
South Extreme Path Limit 2S213:47:19.713:46:24.230°07.4'S062°42.3'E

Explanation of Penumbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes Tables

Umbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes: Hybrid Solar Eclipse of 1987 Mar 29

Contacts of Umbral Shadow with Earth
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
First External ContactU111:05:14.411:04:19.046°43.4'S071°21.9'W
First Internal ContactU211:06:07.511:05:12.046°51.8'S071°34.1'W
Last Internal ContactU314:33:36.414:32:41.011°05.2'N053°42.3'E
Last External ContactU414:34:34.914:33:39.511°14.6'N053°28.2'E
Extreme Northern and Southern Path Limits of Umbra
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
North Extreme Path Limit 1N111:05:33.411:04:38.046°33.8'S071°27.8'W
South Extreme Path Limit 1S111:05:48.511:04:53.147°01.4'S071°28.2'W
North Extreme Path Limit 2N214:34:13.814:33:18.411°25.3'N053°34.2'E
South Extreme Path Limit 2S214:33:57.514:33:02.110°54.5'N053°36.4'E

Explanation of Umbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes Tables

Central Line Extremes and Duration: Hybrid Solar Eclipse of 1987 Mar 29

Extreme Limits of the Central Line
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
Extreme Central Line Limit 1C111:05:40.911:04:45.546°47.6'S071°28.1'W
Extreme Central Line Limit 2C214:34:05.614:33:10.211°09.9'N053°35.3'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 Eclipse12:49:47.312:48:51.812°19.9'S002°18.1'W 72.2° 330.5° 4.9 km00m07.57s
Greatest Duration11:05:40.911:04:45.546°47.6'S071°28.1'W 0.0° 85.2° 51.0 km00m50.81s

Explanation of Greatest Eclipse and Greatest Duration

Polynomial Besselian Elements: Hybrid Solar Eclipse of 1987 Mar 29

Polynomial Besselian Elements
1987 Mar 29 at 13:00:00.0 TD (=t0)
n x y d l1 l2 μ
0 0.22913 -0.22227 3.2955 0.55027 0.00409 13.7695
1 0.47956 0.26463 0.0156 0.00011 0.00011 15.0043
2 -0.00002 -0.00001 -0.0000 -0.00001 -0.00001 -0.0000
3 -0.00001 -0.00000 - - - -
Tan ƒ1 0.0046833
Tan ƒ2 0.0046600

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 = 13.000

Explanation of Polynomial Besselian Elements

Eclipse Publications

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For more visit: AstroPixels Publishing

Links for the Hybrid Solar Eclipse of 1987 Mar 29

Links to Additional Solar Eclipse Information

  • Home - home page of EclipseWise with predictions for both solar and lunar eclipses

Decade Tables of Solar Eclipses:
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Solar Eclipse Publications

Eclipse Publications

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For more visit: AstroPixels Publishing

Eclipse Predictions

Predictions for the Hybrid Solar Eclipse of 1987 Mar 29 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 55.4 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.