Solar eclipse of May 3, 1715

Solar eclipse of May 3, 1715
Map
Type of eclipse
Nature Total
Gamma 0.7112
Magnitude 1.0632
Maximum eclipse
Duration 254 sec (4 m 14 s)
Coordinates 59°24′N 17°54′E / 59.4°N 17.9°E / 59.4; 17.9
Max. width of band 295 km (183 mi)
Times (UTC)
Greatest eclipse 9:36:30
References
Saros 114 (60 of 72)
Catalog # (SE5000) 8826

A total solar eclipse occurred on May 3, 1715. 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. This total eclipse was visible across England, northern Europe, and northern Asia.

Observations

This animation shows the eclipse path over England and northern Europe.
The wide (faint) shadow shows for the penumbra (partiality), and the smaller dark shadow shows for the umbra (totality).

This total solar eclipse was observed in England from Cornwall in the south-west to Lincolnshire and Norfolk in the east. It was also observed in Ireland, where large crowds turned out in Dublin to watch it: the weather in Dublin was exceptionally cold and wet, and the eminent judge Joseph Deane caught a fatal chill as a result.

This eclipse is known as Halley's Eclipse, after Edmond Halley (1656–1742) who predicted this eclipse to within 4 minutes accuracy. Halley observed the eclipse from London where the city of London enjoyed 3 minutes 33 seconds of totality. He also drew a predictive map showing the path of totality across England. The original map was about 30 km off the observed eclipse path. After the eclipse, he corrected the eclipse path, and added the path and description of the 1724 total solar eclipse.

Note: Great Britain didn't adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1752, so the date was considered 22 April 1715.

It is a part of solar Saros 114.

See also

References

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