View source for Solar eclipse of February 25, 1952

{{Short description|Total eclipse}}
{{Infobox solar eclipse|1952Feb25
| previous         = Solar eclipse of September 1, 1951
| next             = Solar eclipse of August 20, 1952
}}
A total [[solar eclipse]] occurred at the Moon's [[Lunar node|ascending node]] of orbit on Monday, February 25, 1952,<ref>{{cite web|title=February 25, 1952 Total Solar Eclipse|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/1952-february-25|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=5 August 2024}}</ref><ref name="The Vancouver News Herald 1952-02-26 p4" /><!-- Tue --><ref name="Richmond Times Dispatch 1952-02-26 p15" /><!-- Tue --><ref name="The Guardian 1952-02-26 p5" /><!-- Tue --><ref name="The News 1952-02-26 p1" /><!-- Tue --><ref name="St Louis Globe Democrat 1952-02-26 p1" /><!-- Tue --><!-- Citations generated by JPxG's PressPass v2.1, 2023-10-17 --> with a [[Magnitude of eclipse|magnitude]] of 1.0366. 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 1.4 days after [[Apsis|perigee]] (on February 23, 1952, at 22:30 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.<ref>{{cite web|title=Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/distance.html?year=1952&n=136|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=5 August 2024}}</ref>

The path of totality crossed [[French Equatorial Africa]], [[Belgian Congo]], [[Anglo-Egyptian Sudan]], [[Arabia]], [[Pahlavi Iran]] and the [[Soviet Union]]. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of [[Africa]], [[Europe]], [[West Asia]], [[Central Asia]], and [[South Asia]].

== Observations ==
[[File:330-PS-2598 (111-SC-43974AC) (17721186949).jpg|thumb|USAF officers tracing the path of the eclipse on a globe]]
Astronomers from various countries started traveling to [[Khartoum]], capital of [[Anglo-Egyptian Sudan]] from January 1952. The team of the [[United States Naval Research Laboratory]] made studies in [[radio astronomy]], [[spectrum]], [[luminosity]] of [[stellar corona|corona]] and spectral observations.<ref>{{cite journal|author=M. K. Aly|title=Khartoum expeditions for total solar eclipse of February 25th, 1952|journal=The Observatory|url=https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1952Obs....72...63A|volume=72|pages=63–72|date=April 1952|archive-date=6 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406194403/https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1952Obs....72...63A}}</ref> Teams of the High Altitude Observatory of [[Harvard University]] and [[University of Colorado]] analyzed the spectrum of the [[Balmer series]] in the [[hydrogen spectral series]].<ref>{{cite journal|author=Athay, R. G., Billings, D. E., Evans, J. W., & Roberts, W. O.|title=Emission in Hydrogen Balmer Lines and Continuum in Flash Spectrum of 1952 Total Solar Eclipse at Khartoum, Sudan.|journal=[[The Astrophysical Journal]]|url=https://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1954ApJ...120...94A|volume=120|pages=94–111|archive-date=6 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406181811/https://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1954ApJ...120...94A}}</ref> In addition, French astronomer [[Bernard Ferdinand Lyot]], who invented the [[coronagraph]] that allows observing the solar corona at any time, not limited to total solar eclipses, died of a [[heart attack]] in [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]] on his way back from observing the total solar eclipse in Sudan.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bernard Lyot (1897--1952)|url=http://www.astro.umontreal.ca/~paulchar/grps/histoire/newsite/bio/lyot_e.html|publisher=[[Université de Montréal]]|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212543/http://www.astro.umontreal.ca/~paulchar/grps/histoire/newsite/bio/lyot_e.html}}</ref>

== 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Total Solar Eclipse of 1952 Feb 25|url=https://eclipsewise.com/solar/SEprime/1901-2000/SE1952Feb25Tprime.html|publisher=EclipseWise.com|access-date=5 August 2024}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" align="{{{align|left}}}" style="margin:{{#ifeq:{{{align}}}|left|0 0 0.5em 1em|0 1em 0.5em 0}}"
|+February 25, 1952 Solar Eclipse Times
! Event
! Time (UTC)
|-
| First Penumbral External Contact
| 1952 February 25 at 06:38:16.5 UTC
|-
| First Umbral External Contact
| 1952 February 25 at 07:38:39.4 UTC
|-
| First Central Line
| 1952 February 25 at 07:39:19.4 UTC
|-
| First Umbral Internal Contact
| 1952 February 25 at 07:39:59.5 UTC
|-
| Greatest Duration
| 1952 February 25 at 09:07:12.9 UTC
|-
| Greatest Eclipse
| 1952 February 25 at 09:11:34.8 UTC
|-
| Ecliptic Conjunction
| 1952 February 25 at 09:16:27.1 UTC
|-
| Equatorial Conjunction
| 1952 February 25 at 09:36:51.1 UTC
|-
| Last Umbral Internal Contact
| 1952 February 25 at 10:42:56.4 UTC
|-
| Last Central Line
| 1952 February 25 at 10:43:34.9 UTC
|-
| Last Umbral External Contact
| 1952 February 25 at 10:44:13.4 UTC
|-
| Last Penumbral External Contact
| 1952 February 25 at 11:44:46.4 UTC
|}

{|class="wikitable" align="{{{align|right}}}" style="margin:{{#ifeq:{{{align}}}|right|0 0 0.5em 1em|0 1em 0.5em 0}}"
|+February 25, 1952 Solar Eclipse Parameters
! Parameter
! Value
|-
| Eclipse Magnitude
| 1.03660
|-
| Eclipse Obscuration
| 1.07454
|-
| Gamma
| 0.46973
|-
| Sun Right Ascension
| 22h30m04.0s
|-
| Sun Declination
| -09°25'03.8"
|-
| Sun Semi-Diameter
| 16'09.4"
|-
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax
| 08.9"
|-
| Moon Right Ascension
| 22h29m11.4s
|-
| Moon Declination
| -08°59'49.8"
|-
| Moon Semi-Diameter
| 16'30.0"
|-
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax
| 1°00'33.5"
|-
| ΔT
| 30.0 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 1952
! [[February 1952 lunar eclipse|February 11]]<br/>Descending node (full moon) !! February 25<br/>Ascending node (new moon)<br/>
|-
| [[File:Lunar eclipse chart close-1952Feb11.png|200px]] || [[File:SE1952Feb25T.png|200px]]
|- align=center
| [[Lunar eclipse#Types of lunar eclipse|Partial lunar eclipse]]<br />Lunar Saros 113 || [[Total eclipse#Types|Total solar eclipse]]<br />Solar Saros 139
|}

== Related eclipses ==
=== Eclipses in 1952 ===
* [[February 1952 lunar eclipse|A partial lunar eclipse on February 11]].
* '''A total solar eclipse on February 25.'''
* [[August 1952 lunar eclipse|A partial lunar eclipse on August 5]].
* [[Solar eclipse of August 20, 1952|An annular solar eclipse on August 20]].

=== Metonic ===
* Preceded by: [[Solar eclipse of May 9, 1948]]
* Followed by: [[Solar eclipse of December 14, 1955]]

=== Tzolkinex ===
* Preceded by: [[Solar eclipse of January 14, 1945]]
* Followed by: [[Solar eclipse of April 8, 1959]]

=== Half-Saros ===
* Preceded by: [[February 1943 lunar eclipse|Lunar eclipse of February 20, 1943]]
* Followed by: [[March 1961 lunar eclipse|Lunar eclipse of March 2, 1961]]

=== Tritos ===
* Preceded by: [[Solar eclipse of March 27, 1941]]
* Followed by: [[Solar eclipse of January 25, 1963]]

=== Solar Saros 139 ===
* Preceded by: [[Solar eclipse of February 14, 1934]]
* Followed by: [[Solar eclipse of March 7, 1970]]

=== Inex ===
* Preceded by: [[Solar eclipse of March 17, 1923]]
* Followed by: [[Solar eclipse of February 4, 1981]]

=== Triad ===
* Preceded by: [[Solar eclipse of April 25, 1865]]
* Followed by: [[Solar eclipse of December 26, 2038]]

=== Solar eclipses of 1950–1953 ===
{{Solar eclipse set 1950–1953}}

=== Saros 139 ===
{{Solar_Saros_series_139}}

=== Metonic series ===
{{Solar Metonic series 1898–1982}}

=== Tritos series ===
{{Solar Tritos series 2006 September 22}}

=== Inex series ===
{{Solar Inex series 2010 January 15}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="The Vancouver News Herald 1952-02-26 p4">{{Cite news
  | url         = https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-vancouver-news-herald-todays-total/133623838/
  | date        = 1952-02-26
  | page        = 4
  | title       = Today's Total Eclipse May Yield New Facts On Sun's Chemistry And Age
  | newspaper   = The Vancouver News-Herald
  | location    = Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  | via         = Newspapers.com
  | access-date = 2023-10-17
  }}</ref>
<ref name="Richmond Times Dispatch 1952-02-26 p15">{{Cite news
  | url         = https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-times-dispatch-eclipse-studied/133623880/
  | date        = 1952-02-26
  | page        = 15
  | title       = Eclipse Studied in Sudan to Test Einstein's Theory
  | newspaper   = Richmond Times-Dispatch
  | location    = Richmond, Virginia
  | via         = Newspapers.com
  | access-date = 2023-10-17
  }}</ref>
<ref name="The Guardian 1952-02-26 p5">{{Cite news
  | url         = https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-perfect-conditions-for-to/133624691/
  | date        = 1952-02-26
  | page        = 5
  | title       = 'PERFECT' CONDITIONS FOR TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN
  | newspaper   = The Guardian
  | location    = London, Greater London, England
  | via         = Newspapers.com
  | access-date = 2023-10-17
  }}</ref>
<ref name="The News 1952-02-26 p1">{{Cite news
  | url         = https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-scientists-view-total-sun-eclip/133624635/
  | date        = 1952-02-26
  | page        = 1
  | title       = Scientists View Total Sun Eclipse
  | newspaper   = The News
  | location    = Frederick, Maryland
  | via         = Newspapers.com
  | access-date = 2023-10-17
  }}</ref>
<ref name="St Louis Globe Democrat 1952-02-26 p1">{{Cite news
  | url         = https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-globe-democrat-top-scientists/133624587/
  | date        = 1952-02-26
  | page        = 1
  | title       = Top Scientists Get Rare Glimpse of Full Eclipse
  | newspaper   = St. Louis Globe-Democrat
  | location    = St. Louis, Missouri
  | via         = Newspapers.com
  | access-date = 2023-10-17
  }}</ref>
}}

==References==
{{Solar eclipse NASA reference|1951/SE1952Feb25T|19520225}}
* [http://www.eclipse-2008.ru/eclipse/1952.php Solar eclipse of February 25, 1952 in Russia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100103191005/http://eclipse-2008.ru/eclipse/1952.php |date=January 3, 2010 }}

{{Solar eclipses}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Solar Eclipse Of February 25, 1952}}
[[Category:Total solar eclipses|1952 02 25]]
[[Category:1952 in science]]
[[Category:20th-century solar eclipses|1952 02 25]]
[[Category:February 1952]]