Solar eclipse of August 1, 2008

Solar eclipse of August 1, 2008
Totality showing corona from Kumul, Xinjiang
Map
Type of eclipse
Nature	Total
Gamma	0.8307
Magnitude	1.0394
Maximum eclipse
Duration	147 s (2 min 27 s)
Coordinates	65°42′N 72°18′E / 65.7°N 72.3°E / 65.7; 72.3
Max. width of band	237 km (147 mi)
Times (UTC)
(P1) Partial begin	04:06.8
(U1) Total begin	21:07.3
Greatest eclipse	10:22:12
(U4) Total end	21:28.3
(P4) Partial end	38:27.7
References
Saros	126 (47 of 72)
Catalog # (SE5000)	9526

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of the orbit on August 1, 2008.^[1][2] 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. It had a magnitude of 1.0394^[3] that was visible from a narrow corridor through northern Canada (Nunavut), Greenland, central Russia, eastern Kazakhstan, western Mongolia and China.^[4] Visible north of the Arctic Circle, it belonged to the so-called midnight sun eclipses. The largest city in its path was Novosibirsk in Russia.^[5] The eclipse happened only 2+1⁄2 days after the perigee that occurred on July 29, 2008, and the Moon's apparent diameter was larger than average.

The moon's apparent diameter was 1 arcminute, 17.8 arcseconds (77.8 arcseconds) larger than the annular solar eclipse of February 7, 2008.

This was the first eclipse of the season, the second being the partial lunar eclipse of August 16, 2008.

The total eclipse lasted for 2 minutes 27 seconds, and covered 0.4% of the Earth's surface in a 10,200 km long path. It was the 47th eclipse of the 126th Saros cycle, which began with a partial eclipse on March 10, 1179, and will conclude with a partial eclipse on May 3, 2459.^[6]

A partial eclipse could be seen from the much broader path of the Moon's penumbra, including northeastern North America and most of Europe and Asia.^[4]

It was described by observers as "special for its colours around the horizon. There were wonderful oranges and reds all around, the clouds lit up, some dark in silhouette, some golden, glowing yellowy-orange in the distance. You could see the shadow approaching against the clouds and then rushing away as it left."^{[7][citation needed]}

The moon's apparent diameter was larger because the eclipse was occurring only 58 hours, 56 minutes after perigee.^{[citation needed]}