A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Wednesday, July 18, 1860, with a magnitude of 1.0500. 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. Occurring about 2.2 days before perigee (on July 20, 1860, at 19:15 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
The path of totality was visible from parts of modern-day northwestern Oregon, Washington, northern Idaho, northwestern Montana, Canada, Spain, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea. A partial solar eclipse was also visible for parts of North America, Europe, West Asia, North Africa, and West Africa.
Coronal Mass Ejection The first coronal mass ejection may have been observed as coronal loops progressing during this total eclipse.
Eclipse details Shown below are two tables displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. The first table outlines times at which the Moon's penumbra or umbra attains the specific parameter, and the second table describes various other parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+July 18, 1860 Solar Eclipse Times Event Time (UTC) First Penumbral External Contact 1860 July 18 at 11:54:56.3 UTC First Umbral External Contact 1860 July 18 at 12:57:13.1 UTC First Central Line 1860 July 18 at 12:58:21.9 UTC First Umbral Internal Contact 1860 July 18 at 12:59:31.0 UTC Equatorial Conjunction 1860 July 18 at 14:09:18.4 UTC Ecliptic Conjunction 1860 July 18 at 14:20:40.8 UTC Greatest Duration 1860 July 18 at 14:24:54.3 UTC Greatest Eclipse 1860 July 18 at 14:26:24.2 UTC Last Umbral Internal Contact 1860 July 18 at 15:53:26.2 UTC Last Central Line 1860 July 18 at 15:54:37.2 UTC Last Umbral External Contact 1860 July 18 at 15:55:48.0 UTC Last Penumbral External Contact 1860 July 18 at 16:57:54.9 UTC
+July 18, 1860 Solar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Eclipse Magnitude 1.05000 Eclipse Obscuration 1.10249 Gamma 0.54871 Sun Right Ascension 07h52m23.3s Sun Declination +20°56'51.5" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'44.4" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7" Moon Right Ascension 07h53m03.2s Moon Declination +21°28'15.4" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'18.0" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°59'49.1" ΔT 7.7 s
Eclipse season
This eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two (or occasionally three) eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months (173 days) later; thus two full eclipse seasons always occur each year. Either two or three eclipses happen each eclipse season. In the sequence below, each eclipse is separated by a fortnight.
+ Eclipse season of July–August 1860 July 18Descending node (new moon) August 1Ascending node (full moon) Total solar eclipseSolar Saros 124 Partial lunar eclipseLunar Saros 136
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1860 An annular solar eclipse on January 23. A partial lunar eclipse on February 7. A total solar eclipse on July 18. A partial lunar eclipse on August 1. A penumbral lunar eclipse on December 28.
Metonic Preceded by: Solar eclipse of September 29, 1856 Followed by: Solar eclipse of May 6, 1864
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Solar eclipse of June 6, 1853 Followed by: Solar eclipse of August 29, 1867
Half-Saros Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 13, 1851 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 23, 1869
Tritos Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 18, 1849 Followed by: Solar eclipse of June 18, 1871
Solar Saros 124 Preceded by: Solar eclipse of July 8, 1842 Followed by: Solar eclipse of July 29, 1878
Inex Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 7, 1831 Followed by: Solar eclipse of June 28, 1889
Triad Preceded by: Solar eclipse of September 16, 1773 Followed by: Solar eclipse of May 20, 1947
Solar eclipses of 1859–1862
The partial solar eclipses on March 4, 1859 and August 28, 1859 occur in the previous lunar year eclipse set, and the partial solar eclipse on November 21, 1862 occurs in the next lunar year eclipse set.
Solar eclipse series sets from 1859 to 1862 Ascending node Descending node Saros Map Gamma Saros Map Gamma 109 February 3, 1859Partial −1.5659 114 July 29, 1859Partial 1.2598 119 January 23, 1860Annular −0.8969 124 July 18, 1860Total 0.5487 129 January 11, 1861Annular −0.1766 134 July 8, 1861Annular −0.2231 139 December 31, 1861Total 0.5187 144 June 27, 1862Partial −1.0252 149 December 21, 1862Partial 1.1633
Saros 124
Metonic series
Tritos series
Inex series
See also Solar storm of 1859
References
NASA chart graphics Googlemap NASA Besselian elements Sketch of Solar Corona 1860 July 18 Russia expedition for solar eclipse of July 18, 1860