Solar Eclipse Prime Page

Total Solar Eclipse of -0279 Dec 09 (0280 Dec 09 BCE)

Fred Espenak

Introduction

eclipse map

The Total Solar Eclipse of -0279 Dec 09 (0280 Dec 09 BCE) is visible from the geographic regions shown on the map to the right. 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 -0279 Dec 09 at 21:55:10 TD (18:06:46 UT1). This is 0.4 days before the Moon reaches perigee. 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 -27223.

The eclipse belongs to Saros 47 and is number 58 of 72 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.

This total eclipse is unsual in that it does NOT have a southern path limit. Instead, one edge of the umbral shadow falls off into space throughout the eclipse. Gamma has a value of -0.9905.

The total solar eclipse of -0279 Dec 09 is followed two weeks later by a total lunar eclipse on -0279 Dec 24.

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 13704.2 seconds for this eclipse. The uncertainty in ΔT is 352.1 seconds corresponding to a standard error in longitude of the eclipse path of ± 1.47°.

The following links provide maps and data for the eclipse.

The tables below contain detailed predictions and additional information on the Total Solar Eclipse of -0279 Dec 09 .

Eclipse Data: Total Solar Eclipse of -0279 Dec 09

Eclipse Characteristics
Parameter Value
Eclipse Magnitude 1.02938
Eclipse Obscuration 1.05962
Gamma-0.99053
Conjunction Times
Event Calendar Date and Time Julian Date
Greatest Eclipse -0279 Dec 09 at 21:55:09.9 TD (18:06:45.8 UT1) 1619496.254696
Ecliptic Conjunction -0279 Dec 09 at 21:45:12.5 TD (17:56:48.3 UT1) 1619496.247782
Equatorial Conjunction -0279 Dec 09 at 21:57:10.7 TD (18:08:46.5 UT1) 1619496.256094
Geocentric Coordinates of Sun and Moon
-0279 Dec 09 at 21:55:09.9 TD (18:06:45.8 UT1)
Coordinate Sun Moon
Right Ascension16h52m32.8s16h52m27.5s
Declination-22°48'53.6"-23°49'33.1"
Semi-Diameter 16'16.5" 16'43.8"
Eq. Hor. Parallax 08.9" 1°01'24.0"
Geocentric Libration of Moon
Angle Value
l -0.5°
b 1.3°
c 8.1°
Prediction Paramaters
Paramater Value
Ephemerides JPL DE406
ΔT 13704.2 s
k (penumbra) 0.2725076
k (umbra) 0.2722810
Saros Series 47 (58/72)

Explanation of Solar Eclipse Data Tables

Penumbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes: Total Solar Eclipse of -0279 Dec 09

Contacts of Penumbral Shadow with Earth
Contact Event Contact Time
TD		 Time
UT1		 Latitude Longitude
First External ContactP119:53:55.816:05:31.635°32.1'S169°44.2'W
Last External ContactP423:56:22.220:07:58.137°31.0'S014°00.6'W
Extreme Northern and Southern Path Limits of Penumbra
Contact Event Contact Time
TD		 Time
UT1		 Latitude Longitude
North Extreme Path Limit 1N120:15:33.816:27:09.724°00.4'S168°27.8'W
South Extreme Path Limit 1S123:34:44.819:46:20.726°03.6'S015°34.9'W

Explanation of Penumbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes Tables

Umbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes: Total Solar Eclipse of -0279 Dec 09

Contacts of Umbral Shadow with Earth
Contact Event Contact Time
TD		 Time
UT1		 Latitude Longitude
First External ContactU121:37:57.417:49:33.264°56.9'S117°36.1'E
Last External ContactU422:12:21.618:23:57.465°46.2'S062°18.7'E
Extreme Northern and Southern Path Limits of Umbra
Contact Event Contact Time
TD		 Time
UT1		 Latitude Longitude
North Extreme Path Limit 1N121:53:41.818:05:17.767°12.6'S092°48.9'E
South Extreme Path Limit 1S121:56:36.718:08:12.567°17.1'S087°54.4'E

Explanation of Umbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes Tables

Central Line Extremes and Duration: Total Solar Eclipse of -0279 Dec 09

Extreme Limits of the Central Line
Contact Event Contact Time
TD		 Time
UT1		 Latitude Longitude
Extreme Central Line Limit 1C121:43:17.617:54:53.565°59.0'S109°40.9'E
Extreme Central Line Limit 2C222:07:00.818:18:36.766°34.5'S070°37.0'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 Eclipse21:55:09.918:06:45.873°44.5'S034°10.0'E 6.6° 176.3° 882.6 km01m25.54s
Greatest Duration21:55:12.918:06:48.773°44.6'S091°18.8'E 6.6° 176.4° 882.6 km01m25.54s

Explanation of Greatest Eclipse and Greatest Duration

Polynomial Besselian Elements: Total Solar Eclipse of -0279 Dec 09

Polynomial Besselian Elements
-0279 Dec 09 at 22:00:00.0 TD (=t0)
n x y d l1 l2 μ
0 0.02739 -0.99126 -22.8128 0.53886 -0.00726 151.0314
1 0.58244 -0.01145 -0.0049 -0.00002 -0.00002 14.9968
2 0.00001 0.00023 0.0000 -0.00001 -0.00001 -0.0000
3 -0.00001 0.00000 - - - -
Tan ƒ1 0.0047576
Tan ƒ2 0.0047339

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 = 22.000

Explanation of Polynomial Besselian Elements

Links for the Total Solar Eclipse of -0279 Dec 09 (0280 Dec 09 BCE)

Links to Additional Solar Eclipse Information

Calendar

The Gregorian calendar (also called the Western calendar) is internationally the most widely used civil calendar. It is named for Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced it in 1582. On this website, the Gregorian calendar is used for all calendar dates from 1582 Oct 15 onwards. Before that date, the Julian calendar is used. For more information on this topic, see Calendar Dates.

The Julian calendar does not include the year 0. Thus the year 1 BCE is followed by the year 1 CE (See: BCE/CE Dating Conventions). This is awkward for arithmetic calculations. Years in this catalog are numbered astronomically and include the year 0. Historians should note there is a difference of one year between astronomical dates and BCE dates. Thus, the astronomical year 0 corresponds to 1 BCE, and astronomical year -1 corresponds to 2 BCE, etc..

Eclipse Predictions

Predictions for the Total Solar Eclipse of -0279 Dec 09 were generated using the JPL DE406 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 13704.2 seconds for this eclipse. The uncertainty in ΔT is 352.1 seconds corresponding to a standard error in longitude of the eclipse path of ± 1.47°.

Acknowledgments

Some of the content on this website is based on the book 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 covered.