Solar Eclipse Prime Page

Hybrid Solar Eclipse of -0454 May 31 (0455 May 31 BCE)

Fred Espenak

Introduction

eclipse map

The Hybrid Solar Eclipse of -0454 May 31 (0455 May 31 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 -0454 May 31 at 11:55:16 TD (07:23:33 UT1). This is 6.6 days before the Moon reaches apogee. During the eclipse, the Sun is in the constellation Gemini. The synodic month in which the eclipse takes place has a Brown Lunation Number of -29394.

The eclipse belongs to Saros 59 and is number 33 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.

The solar eclipse of -0454 May 31 is one of the rare hybrid solar eclipses. In this particular case the eclipse path starts out as annular. Further down the track it changes to total and then back to annular before the path ends. It is a very short hybrid eclipse with a duration at greatest eclipse of 00m06s. The eclipse magnitude is 1.0010, while Gamma has a value of 0.1356.

The hybrid solar eclipse of -0454 May 31 is preceded two weeks earlier by a penumbral lunar eclipse on -0454 May 17, and it is followed two weeks later by a penumbral lunar eclipse on -0454 Jun 15.

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 16303.4 seconds for this eclipse. The uncertainty in ΔT is 413.5 seconds corresponding to a standard error in longitude of the eclipse path of ± 1.73°.

The following links provide maps and data for the eclipse.

The tables below contain detailed predictions and additional information on the Hybrid Solar Eclipse of -0454 May 31 .

Eclipse Data: Hybrid Solar Eclipse of -0454 May 31

Eclipse Characteristics
Parameter Value
Eclipse Magnitude 1.00100
Eclipse Obscuration 1.00200
Gamma 0.13561
Conjunction Times
Event Calendar Date and Time Julian Date
Greatest Eclipse -0454 May 31 at 11:55:16.0 TD (07:23:32.7 UT1) 1555384.808017
Ecliptic Conjunction -0454 May 31 at 11:56:46.7 TD (07:25:03.3 UT1) 1555384.809066
Equatorial Conjunction -0454 May 31 at 11:59:54.8 TD (07:28:11.5 UT1) 1555384.811244
Geocentric Coordinates of Sun and Moon
-0454 May 31 at 11:55:16.0 TD (07:23:32.7 UT1)
Coordinate Sun Moon
Right Ascension04h02m52.9s04h02m43.2s
Declination+20°59'52.4"+21°07'13.3"
Semi-Diameter 15'43.0" 15'29.2"
Eq. Hor. Parallax 08.6" 0°56'50.2"
Geocentric Libration of Moon
Angle Value
l 5.3°
b -0.2°
c -9.7°
Prediction Paramaters
Paramater Value
Ephemerides JPL DE406
ΔT 16303.4 s
k (penumbra) 0.2725076
k (umbra) 0.2722810
Saros Series 59 (33/72)

Explanation of Solar Eclipse Data Tables

Penumbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes: Hybrid Solar Eclipse of -0454 May 31

Contacts of Penumbral Shadow with Earth
Contact Event Contact Time
TD		 Time
UT1		 Latitude Longitude
First External ContactP109:02:47.304:31:04.011°19.8'S024°36.2'E
First Internal ContactP211:07:22.406:35:39.100°27.5'N011°07.4'W
Last Internal ContactP312:43:01.808:11:18.432°11.5'N159°07.4'E
Last External ContactP414:47:49.210:16:05.920°36.2'N122°14.5'E
Extreme Northern and Southern Path Limits of Penumbra
Contact Event Contact Time
TD		 Time
UT1		 Latitude Longitude
North Extreme Path Limit 1N110:40:35.106:08:51.724°16.4'N014°12.9'W
South Extreme Path Limit 1S110:02:51.705:31:08.338°00.6'S022°37.3'E
North Extreme Path Limit 2N213:09:40.008:37:56.654°13.6'N170°40.8'E
South Extreme Path Limit 2S213:47:55.309:16:11.906°33.0'S126°23.1'E

Explanation of Penumbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes Tables

Umbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes: Hybrid Solar Eclipse of -0454 May 31

Contacts of Umbral Shadow with Earth
Contact Event Contact Time
TD		 Time
UT1		 Latitude Longitude
First External ContactU110:04:08.805:32:25.508°44.7'S008°14.4'E
First Internal ContactU210:05:02.905:33:19.608°41.2'S007°59.5'E
Last Internal ContactU313:45:24.009:13:40.623°13.5'N139°01.7'E
Last External ContactU413:46:24.009:14:40.623°09.6'N138°44.9'E
Extreme Northern and Southern Path Limits of Umbra
Contact Event Contact Time
TD		 Time
UT1		 Latitude Longitude
North Extreme Path Limit 1N110:04:44.005:33:00.608°30.1'S007°59.9'E
South Extreme Path Limit 1S110:04:27.805:32:44.408°55.8'S008°14.0'E
North Extreme Path Limit 2N213:45:44.909:14:01.623°25.6'N139°02.1'E
South Extreme Path Limit 2S213:46:03.009:14:19.722°57.5'N138°44.6'E

Explanation of Umbral Shadow Contacts and Extremes Tables

Central Line Extremes and Duration: Hybrid Solar Eclipse of -0454 May 31

Extreme Limits of the Central Line
Contact Event Contact Time
TD		 Time
UT1		 Latitude Longitude
Extreme Central Line Limit 1C110:04:35.905:32:52.508°42.9'S008°07.0'E
Extreme Central Line Limit 2C213:45:54.009:14:10.623°11.5'N138°53.3'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 Eclipse11:55:16.007:23:32.728°35.7'N003°38.0'W 82.0° 162.2° 3.5 km00m06.01s
Greatest Duration13:45:54.009:14:10.623°11.5'N138°53.3'E 0.0° 293.0° 59.2 km00m57.21s

Explanation of Greatest Eclipse and Greatest Duration

Polynomial Besselian Elements: Hybrid Solar Eclipse of -0454 May 31

Polynomial Besselian Elements
-0454 May 31 at 12:00:00.0 TD (=t0)
n x y d l1 l2 μ
0 0.00073 0.14208 20.9982 0.55044 0.00426 2.2231
1 0.51352 0.15750 0.0074 0.00012 0.00012 15.0007
2 0.00002 -0.00014 -0.0000 -0.00001 -0.00001 -0.0000
3 -0.00001 -0.00000 - - - -
Tan ƒ1 0.0045947
Tan ƒ2 0.0045718

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 = 12.000

Explanation of Polynomial Besselian Elements

Links for the Hybrid Solar Eclipse of -0454 May 31 (0455 May 31 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 Hybrid Solar Eclipse of -0454 May 31 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 16303.4 seconds for this eclipse. The uncertainty in ΔT is 413.5 seconds corresponding to a standard error in longitude of the eclipse path of ± 1.73°.

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.