Solar Eclipse Prime Page

Annular Solar Eclipse of 1973 Dec 24

Fred Espenak

Key to Solar Eclipse Figure (below)

Introduction


The Annular Solar Eclipse of 1973 Dec 24 is visible from the following geographic regions:

  • Partial Eclipse: east North America, South America, west Europe, west Africa
  • Annular Eclipse: Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Mauritania, Algeria

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 1973 Dec 24 at 15:02:44 TD (15:01:59 UT1). This is 1.3 days before the Moon reaches apogee. During the eclipse, the Sun is in the constellation Sagittarius. The synodic month in which the eclipse takes place has a Brown Lunation Number of 631.

The eclipse belongs to Saros 141 and is number 21 of 70 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 1973 Dec 24 is an exceptionally long annular eclipse with a duration at greatest eclipse of 12m02s. It has an eclipse magnitude of 0.9174.

The annular solar eclipse of 1973 Dec 24 is preceded two weeks earlier by a partial lunar eclipse on 1973 Dec 10.

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 44.5 seconds for this eclipse.

The following links provide maps and data for the eclipse.

Eclipse Data: Annular Solar Eclipse of 1973 Dec 24

Eclipse Characteristics
Parameter Value
Eclipse Magnitude 0.91745
Eclipse Obscuration 0.84171
Gamma 0.41710
Conjunction Times
Event Calendar Date and Time Julian Date
Greatest Eclipse 1973 Dec 24 at 15:02:43.5 TD (15:01:59.1 UT1) 2442041.126378
Ecliptic Conjunction 1973 Dec 24 at 15:07:45.5 TD (15:07:01.1 UT1) 2442041.129873
Equatorial Conjunction 1973 Dec 24 at 15:08:46.6 TD (15:08:02.1 UT1) 2442041.130580
Geocentric Coordinates of Sun and Moon
1973 Dec 24 at 15:02:43.5 TD (15:01:59.1 UT1)
Coordinate Sun Moon
Right Ascension18h11m38.6s18h11m26.8s
Declination-23°24'56.0"-23°02'37.9"
Semi-Diameter 16'15.7" 14'43.0"
Eq. Hor. Parallax 08.9" 0°54'00.7"
Geocentric Libration of Moon
Angle Value
l 1.1°
b -0.5°
c 0.4°
Prediction Parameters
Paramater Value
Ephemerides JPL DE405
ΔT 44.5 s
k (penumbra) 0.2725076
k (umbra) 0.2722810
Saros Series 141 (21/70)

Explanation of Solar Eclipse Data Tables

Penumbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes: Annular Solar Eclipse of 1973 Dec 24

Contacts of Penumbral Shadow with Earth
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
First External ContactP112:01:48.212:01:03.707°48.3'N086°57.6'W
First Internal ContactP214:54:55.314:54:10.962°00.8'N079°02.9'W
Last Internal ContactP315:10:21.815:09:37.366°31.2'N043°00.4'W
Last External ContactP418:03:38.018:02:53.620°31.5'N010°07.7'W
Extreme Northern and Southern Path Limits of Penumbra
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
North Extreme Path Limit 1N114:48:40.814:47:56.463°30.5'N071°44.1'W
South Extreme Path Limit 1S113:18:08.813:17:24.314°09.7'S115°43.1'W
North Extreme Path Limit 2N215:16:30.715:15:46.266°33.4'N051°54.6'W
South Extreme Path Limit 2S216:47:20.316:46:35.801°23.1'S018°52.4'E

Explanation of Penumbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes Tables

Umbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes: Annular Solar Eclipse of 1973 Dec 24

Contacts of Umbral Shadow with Earth
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
First External ContactU113:10:43.713:09:59.215°39.4'N100°37.1'W
First Internal ContactU213:18:17.113:17:32.617°02.5'N101°51.0'W
Last Internal ContactU316:47:05.316:46:20.829°36.5'N004°05.2'E
Last External ContactU416:54:40.416:53:55.928°14.9'N002°59.0'E
Extreme Northern and Southern Path Limits of Umbra
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
North Extreme Path Limit 1N113:15:24.913:14:40.417°57.9'N100°41.3'W
South Extreme Path Limit 1S113:13:41.813:12:57.414°42.6'N101°48.2'W
North Extreme Path Limit 2N216:49:57.816:49:13.330°30.7'N002°49.7'E
South Extreme Path Limit 2S216:51:41.816:50:57.327°19.1'N004°15.4'E

Explanation of Umbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes Tables

Central Line Extremes and Duration: Annular Solar Eclipse of 1973 Dec 24

Extreme Limits of the Central Line
Contact Event Contact Time
TD
Time
UT1
Latitude Longitude
Extreme Central Line Limit 1C113:14:29.713:13:45.216°19.6'N101°14.5'W
Extreme Central Line Limit 2C216:50:53.516:50:09.128°54.4'N003°32.9'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 Eclipse15:02:43.515:01:59.101°04.9'N048°28.3'W 65.3° 173.6° 344.5 km12m02.37s
Greatest Duration14:57:39.114:56:54.600°49.9'N049°38.0'W 65.2° 168.3° 345.4 km12m03.05s

Explanation of Greatest Eclipse and Greatest Duration

Polynomial Besselian Elements: Annular Solar Eclipse of 1973 Dec 24

Polynomial Besselian Elements
1973 Dec 24 at 15:00:00.0 TD (=t0)
n x y d l1 l2 μ
0 -0.07312 0.41128 -23.4166 0.57518 0.02888 45.0867
1 0.49989 0.06085 0.0007 0.00003 0.00003 14.9962
2 -0.00002 0.00014 0.0000 -0.00001 -0.00001 0.0000
3 -0.00001 -0.00000 - - - -
Tan ƒ1 0.0047552
Tan ƒ2 0.0047315

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 = 15.000

Explanation of Polynomial Besselian Elements

Eclipse Publications

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For more visit: AstroPixels Publishing

Links for the Annular Solar Eclipse of 1973 Dec 24

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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jpeg jpeg
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For more visit: AstroPixels Publishing

Eclipse Predictions

Predictions for the Annular Solar Eclipse of 1973 Dec 24 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 44.5 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.