Solar eclipse of June 21, 2001

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Template:Short description Template:Infobox solar eclipse A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Thursday, June 21, 2001,[1] with a magnitude of 1.0495. It was the first solar eclipse of the 21st century. 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 about 2.25 days before perigee (on June 23, 2001, at 18:20 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[2]

Many people traveled to Africa to watch the eclipse;[3][4][5] the Daily Telegraph reported that "while some tribesmen watch a celestial crocodile eating the sun, the modern African will be counting the cash brought in by thousands of visitors".[6]

Visibility

It was visible from a narrow corridor in the southern Atlantic Ocean and southern Africa, including Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, the southern tip of Malawi, and Madagascar. A partial eclipse was seen from the much broader path of the Moon's penumbra, including eastern South America and most of Africa.

Observations

Within the path of totality, Angola got the best conditions with the highest solar zenith angle, longest duration and largest chance of clear weather. Sumbe, capital of Cuanza Sul Province, where the path first touched land, was the best in Angola with 4 minutes and 34 seconds of totality. However, the Angolan Civil War[7] prevented many from traveling to the county, and only about 500 people observed the eclipse there. Besides tourists, there were also scientists from the United States, France, Brazil, South Africa, the Czech Republic, Portugal and Hungary.[8]

Zambia, though inferior to its neighbouring country Angola in the chance of clear weather, attracted many scientists and tourists due to its stable political situation and also the fact that its capital city Lusaka was also located within the path of totality.[7] The Zambian government made it a national holiday with one day off, and ZamPost also issues special postage stamps and first-day covers.[9] Scientists from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, South Korea and China observed it in Zambia.[9] The Chinese Academy of Sciences sent a team of 6 people, carrying 3 gravimeters, 2 nuclear gyromagnetometers, 4 digital acquisition systems and recording systems to study the gravity anomalies recorded by Indian scientists during the total solar eclipse of October 24, 1995, and by Chinese scientists during the total solar eclipse of March 9, 1997, in Mohe County.[10][11] With continuous observation for more than 10 years after that, China obtained the first observational evidence that the gravity field propagates at the speed of light.[12]

Coincidence

Besides the eclipse, the day was also the June solstice (winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere where the path of totality passed) when the sun was at the northernmost limit. It was also the closest approach of Mars since 1988.[13]

Images

File:SE2001Jun21T.gif

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.[14]

June 21, 2001 Solar Eclipse Times
Event Time (UTC)
First Penumbral External Contact 2001 June 21 at 09:34:04.6 UTC
First Umbral External Contact 2001 June 21 at 10:37:00.4 UTC
First Central Line 2001 June 21 at 10:38:10.0 UTC
First Umbral Internal Contact 2001 June 21 at 10:39:19.9 UTC
Ecliptic Conjunction 2001 June 21 at 11:58:49.4 UTC
Equatorial Conjunction 2001 June 21 at 11:58:54.2 UTC
Greatest Eclipse 2001 June 21 at 12:04:46.3 UTC
Greatest Duration 2001 June 21 at 12:07:11.5 UTC
Last Umbral Internal Contact 2001 June 21 at 13:30:14.3 UTC
Last Central Line 2001 June 21 at 13:31:26.2 UTC
Last Umbral External Contact 2001 June 21 at 13:32:37.9 UTC
Last Penumbral External Contact 2001 June 21 at 14:35:26.2 UTC
June 21, 2001 Solar Eclipse Parameters
Parameter Value
Eclipse Magnitude 1.04954
Eclipse Obscuration 1.10153
Gamma −0.57013
Sun Right Ascension 06h00m46.1s
Sun Declination +23°26'18.2"
Sun Semi-Diameter 15'44.3"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7"
Moon Right Ascension 06h01m00.5s
Moon Declination +22°52'27.2"
Moon Semi-Diameter 16'17.6"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°59'47.9"
ΔT 64.2 s

Eclipse season

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". 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.

Eclipse season of June–July 2001
June 21
Ascending node (new moon)
 July 5
Descending node (full moon)
File:SE2001Jun21T.png File:Lunar eclipse chart close-2001Jul05.png
Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 127		 Partial lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 139

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 2001

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 127

Inex

Triad

Solar eclipses of 2000–2003

Template:Solar eclipse set 2000–2003

Saros 127

Template:Solar Saros series 127

Metonic series

Template:Solar Metonic series 1982–2058

Tritos series

Template:Solar Tritos series 2001 June 21

Inex series

Template:Solar Inex series 2001 June 21

Notes

Template:Reflist

References

Template:Solar eclipse NASA reference

Template:Sister project Photos:

Template:Solar eclipses

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