Google Maps and Solar Eclipse Paths: 1961 - 1980

Fred Espenak

The table below is a concise summary of all total, annular and hybrid solar eclipses from 1961 through 1980 (excluding partial eclipses). The links in the table provide additional information and graphics for each eclipse. In particular, the Eclipse Type (third column) links to dynamic maps showing the central path of eclipses across Earth's surface. These interactive maps utilize NASA eclipse path predictions and the plotting capabilities of Google Maps. The northern and southern limits of each eclipse path are plotted in blue while the central line is red. The yellow lines plotted across the path indicate the position of maximum eclipse at 10-minute intervals. You can zoom into the map and turn the satellite view on or off. When you click on a position, the eclipse times and circumstances at that location are calculated and displayed.

The first column in the table gives the Calendar Date of the instant of greatest eclipse[1]. This links to an orthographic projection map of Earth showing the region of visibility for an eclipse. The path of the Moon's penumbral shadow (cyan and magenta) covers the region of partial eclipse. The track of the umbral/antumbral shadow (blue/red) defines the path of total or annular eclipse. These figures are described in greater detail in the Key to Solar Eclipse Maps. Each figure is stored as a gif of approximately 60 kilobytes.

The second column TD of Greatest Eclipse is the Terrestrial Dynamical Time when the axis of the Moon's shadow passes closest to Earth's center. Animations of the Moon's penumbral and umbral shadows across Earth are accessed by clicking the this link. Each animated GIF file is from 40 KB to 175 KB in size.

The Eclipse Type (column 3) is either Total, Annular or Hybrid[2]. The link opens a window with the central eclipse path plotted on an interactive Google Map.

The Central Eclipse Class (column 4) indicates whether an eclipse is central or non-central. The parameters N and S identify paths that have no northern or southern limit, respectively. The link opens a table containing the central path coordinates.

Eclipses recur over the Saros cycle, a period of approximately 18 years 11 days. The Saros series that an eclipse belongs to is found in column 5. All eclipses in a particular Saros series can be viewed in a table via the Saros number link.

The parameter Gamma (column 6) is the perpendicular distance of the Moon's shadow axis and Earth's center at greatest eclipse. The link opens a table containing the Besselian elements for the eclipse.

The Eclipse Magnitude[3] (column 7) gives the fraction of the Sun's diameter obscured at the instant of greatest eclipse. The Path Width (column 8) gives the width of the central eclipse path (in kilometers) at the instant of greatest eclipse. The Central Duration[4] (column 9) gives the length of the eclipse as seen from the central line at greatest eclipse.

The Key to Solar Eclipse Path Tables contains a more detailed description of each item in the table.

For more data on solar eclipses during this period, see Catalog of Solar Eclipses: 1901 to 2000 .

Solar Eclipse Paths: 1961 - 1980
Calendar Date TD of Greatest Eclipse Eclipse Type Central Eclipse Class Saros Series Gamma Eclipse Magnitude Path Width (km) Central Duration
(Link to Global Map) (Link to Animation) (Link to Google Map) (Link to Path Table) (Link to Saros) (Link to Besselian Elements)
1961 Feb 15 08:19:48 Total central 120 0.8830 1.036 258.0 02m45s
1961 Aug 11 10:46:47 Annular central 125 -0.8859 0.938 499.5 06m35s
1962 Feb 05 00:12:38 Total central 130 0.2107 1.043 146.7 04m08s
1962 Jul 31 12:25:33 Annular central 135 -0.1130 0.972 102.6 03m33s
1963 Jan 25 13:37:12 Annular central 140 -0.4898 0.995 19.7 00m25s
1963 Jul 20 20:36:13 Total central 145 0.6571 1.022 101.5 01m40s
1965 May 30 21:17:31 Total central 127 -0.4225 1.054 197.6 05m15s
1965 Nov 23 04:14:51 Annular central 132 0.3906 0.966 134.1 04m02s
1966 May 20 09:39:02 Annular central 137 0.3467 0.999 3.2 00m05s
1966 Nov 12 14:23:28 Total central 142 -0.3300 1.023 84.1 01m57s
1967 Nov 02 05:38:56 Total non-central (S) 152 -1.0007 1.013 - -
1968 Sep 22 11:18:46 Total central 124 0.9451 1.010 103.6 00m40s
1969 Mar 18 04:54:57 Annular central 129 -0.2704 0.995 16.5 00m26s
1969 Sep 11 19:58:59 Annular central 134 0.2201 0.969 113.7 03m11s
1970 Mar 07 17:38:30 Total central 139 0.4473 1.041 153.4 03m28s
1970 Aug 31 21:55:30 Annular central 144 -0.5364 0.940 258.2 06m47s
1972 Jan 16 11:03:22 Annular central 121 -0.9365 0.969 321.4 01m53s
1972 Jul 10 19:46:38 Total central 126 0.6872 1.038 175.3 02m36s
1973 Jan 04 15:46:21 Annular central 131 -0.2644 0.930 270.8 07m49s
1973 Jun 30 11:38:41 Total central 136 -0.0785 1.079 256.5 07m04s
1973 Dec 24 15:02:44 Annular central 141 0.4171 0.917 344.5 12m02s
1974 Jun 20 04:48:04 Total central 146 -0.8239 1.059 344.0 05m09s
1976 Apr 29 10:24:18 Annular central 128 0.3378 0.942 227.4 06m41s
1976 Oct 23 05:13:45 Total central 133 -0.3270 1.057 199.1 04m46s
1977 Apr 18 10:31:30 Annular central 138 -0.3990 0.945 220.4 07m04s
1977 Oct 12 20:27:27 Total central 143 0.3836 1.027 98.6 02m37s
1979 Feb 26 16:55:06 Total central 120 0.8981 1.039 297.7 02m49s
1979 Aug 22 17:22:38 Annular central 125 -0.9632 0.933 953.1 06m03s
1980 Feb 16 08:54:01 Total central 130 0.2224 1.043 148.5 04m08s
1980 Aug 10 19:12:21 Annular central 135 -0.1915 0.973 99.7 03m23s

Central Eclipse Class abbreviations (used above):
N = no northern limit, S = no southern limit, AT = annular-total hybrid, TA = total-annular hybrid


[1] Greatest Eclipse is the instant when the distance between the Moon's shadow axis and Earth's center reaches a minimum.

[2] Hybrid eclipses are also known as annular/total eclipses. Such an eclipse is both total and annular along different sections of its umbral path.

[3] Eclipse magnitude is the fraction of the Sun's diameter obscured by the Moon. For annular eclipses, the eclipse magnitude is always less than 1. For total eclipses, the eclipse magnitude is always greater than or equal to 1. For both annular and total eclipses, the value listed is actually the ratio of diameters between the Moon and the Sun.

[4] Central Duration is the duration of a total or annular eclipse at greatest eclipse. This is the instant when the axis of the Moon's shadow passes closest to Earth's center.


Twenty Year Solar Eclipse Path Tables (w/Google Maps)

Each of the following links displays a table containing 20 years of total, annular and hybrid eclipses. Each eclipse offers links to a global map, shadow animation, interactive Google map, path coordinates table, and saros table.

Twenty Year Solar Eclipse Path Tables (w/Google Maps)
Years
1901-1920 1921-1940 1941-1960 1961-1980 1981-2000
2001-2020 2021-2040 2041-2060 2061-2080 2081-2100

Decade Tables of Solar Eclipses

Each link in the following table displays a page containing 10 years of eclipses. Every eclipse has links of global maps, interactive Google maps, animations, path coordinate tables, and saros tables.

Decade Tables of Solar Eclipses
Decades
1901-1910 1911-1920 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

Maps of Solar Eclipse Paths

Solar Eclipse Catalogs

Reproduction of Eclipse Data

All eclipse calculations are by Fred Espenak, and he assumes full responsibility for their accuracy. Some of the information presented on this web site is based on data originally published in:

Fifty Year Canon of Solar Eclipses: 1986 - 2035
and
Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000 (2000 BCE to 3000 CE)

Permission is freely granted to reproduce this data when accompanied by an acknowledgment:

"Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA's GSFC"

For more information, see: NASA Copyright Information

2013 Dec 09