▁Category : Re cip ients ▁of ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁Sain ts ▁Maurice ▁and ▁Laz arus <0x0A> </s> ▁A ▁total ▁solar ▁eclipse ▁occurred ▁on ▁Th urs day , ▁July ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁A ▁solar ▁eclipse ▁occurs ▁when ▁the ▁Moon ▁passes ▁between ▁Earth ▁and ▁the ▁Sun , ▁thereby ▁totally ▁or ▁partly ▁obsc uring ▁the ▁image ▁of ▁the ▁Sun ▁for ▁a ▁vie wer ▁on ▁Earth . ▁A ▁total ▁solar ▁eclipse ▁occurs ▁when ▁the ▁Moon ' s ▁apparent ▁diameter ▁is ▁larger ▁than ▁the ▁Sun ' s , ▁blocking ▁all ▁direct ▁sun light , ▁turning ▁day ▁into ▁darkness . ▁Tot ality ▁occurs ▁in ▁a ▁narrow ▁path ▁across ▁Earth ' s ▁surface , ▁with ▁the ▁partial ▁solar ▁eclipse ▁visible ▁over ▁a ▁surrounding ▁region ▁thousands ▁of ▁kilometres ▁wide . ▁Tot ality ▁began ▁over ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ocean ▁and ▁Hawai i ▁moving ▁across ▁Mexico , ▁down ▁through ▁Central ▁America ▁and ▁across ▁South ▁America ▁ending ▁over ▁Brazil . ▁It ▁last ed ▁for ▁ 6 ▁minutes ▁and ▁ 5 3 . 0 8 ▁seconds ▁at ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁maximum ▁eclipse . ▁There ▁will ▁not ▁be ▁a ▁longer ▁total ▁eclipse ▁until ▁June ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 2 1 3 2 . ▁ ▁This ▁eclipse ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁central ▁total ▁eclipse ▁in ▁ 8 0 0 ▁years , ▁with ▁a ▁g amma ▁of ▁- . 0 0 4 1 . ▁There ▁will ▁not ▁be ▁a ▁more ▁central ▁eclipse ▁for ▁another ▁ 8 0 0 ▁years . ▁Its ▁magnitude ▁was ▁also ▁greater ▁than ▁any ▁eclipse ▁since ▁the ▁ 6