A total

solar eclipse A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six month ...

occurred on Thursday, November 3, 1994. A

occurs when the

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

passes between

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

and the

Sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...

, 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 The angular diameter, angular size, apparent diameter, or apparent size is an angular distance describing how large a sphere or circle appears from a given point of view. In the vision sciences, it is called the visual angle, and in optics, it is ...

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. Totality was visible in

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

, northern

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

, northern

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

including the northeastern part of its capital

Asunción Asunción (, , , Guarani: Paraguay) is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the Pilcomayo River. The Paraguay River and the Bay of ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

and

Gough Island upright=1.3, Map of Gough island Gough Island ( ), also known historically as Gonçalo Álvares, is a rugged volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a dependency of Tristan da Cunha and part of the British overseas territory of Sain ...

British overseas territory The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remna ...

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is a British Overseas Territory located in the South Atlantic and consisting of the island of Saint Helena, Ascension Island and the archipelago of Tristan da Cunha including Gough Island. Its name wa ...

. The

Iguazu Falls Iguazú Falls or Iguaçu Falls ( gn, Chororõ Yguasu , es, Cataratas del Iguazú, links=no ; pt, Cataratas do Iguaçu ) are waterfalls of the Iguazu River on the border of the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Paraná. ...

, one of the largest waterfalls systems in the world, also lies in the path of totality. Totality lasted about 4.4 minutes, so it was a relatively long ''total'' solar eclipse. Occurring only 10 hours and 2 minutes before perigee (Perigee on November 3, 1994 at 23:41 UTC, while greatest eclipse at 13:39 UTC), the moon's apparent diameter was too larger.

Images

More details about the Total Solar Eclipse of 1994 November 3.

Eclipse Magnitude: 1.05351 Eclipse Obscuration: 1.10989 Gamma: -0.35216 Greatest Eclipse: 1994 November 03 at 13:39:05.4 UTC Location of Greatest Eclipse: 35º21'22" S, 34º13'21" W, South Atlantic Ocean, 1,586 km (985.5 mi) off the coast of Brazil Duration of Totality: 4 minutes, 23.28 seconds (263.28 seconds) Sun Right Ascension: 14.57 Sun Declination: -15.1 Sun Diameter: 1934.8 arc-seconds Moon Right Ascension: 14.56 Moon Declination: -15.4 Moon Diameter: 2006.0 arc-seconds Saros Series: 133rd (44 of 72)

Related eclipses

Eclipses of 1994

* An annular solar eclipse on May 10. * A partial lunar eclipse on May 25. * A total solar eclipse on November 3. * A penumbral lunar eclipse on November 18.

Solar eclipses 1993–1996

Saros 133

Inex series

Metonic series

References

External links

Photos:
Chile and Brazil, Prof. Druckmüller's eclipse photography site

{{DEFAULTSORT:Solar Eclipse Of November 3, 1994 1994 11 3 1994 in science 1994 11 3 November 1994 events 1994 in Peru 1994 in Bolivia 1994 in Paraguay 1994 in Brazil 1994 in Argentina