Solar eclipse of April 17, 1912
Introduction A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of the orbit on April 17, 1912 (Gregorian Calendar) (April 4, 1912 in Julian Calendar, Russia, Turkey, and Balkans). It was a hybrid event, starting and ending as an annular eclipse, with only a small portion of totality (only 1.3 km (0.808 mi or 4,265 feet) wide). 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.Annularity was first visible from southeastern tip of Venezuela, northern tip of Brazil, British Guyana (today's Guyana), Dutch Guiana (today's Suriname) and Porto Santo Island in Madeira, Portugal, then totality from Portugal and Spain, with annularity continued northeast across France (including northwestern suburbs of Paris), Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Russian Empire (the parts now belonging to northern Latvia, southern Estonia and Russia). Occurring 7.4 days after apogee (Apogee on April 10, 1912) and only 5.5 days before perigee (Perigee on April 22, 1912), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.It was the 30th eclipse of the 137th Saros cycle, which began with a partial eclipse on May 25, 1389, and will conclude with a partial eclipse on June 28, 2633.This eclipse occurred two days after the RMS ''Titanic'' sank in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean under the darkness of new moon.
Observations File:Solar eclipse 1912Apr17 Flammarion.jpgThe Observatory of Paris had the Globule balloon aloft for the 17 April 1912 hybrid eclipse, reported by Camille Flammarion.260pxThe ''Le Petit Journal'' cover, on 1912 April 21, shows eclipse watchers in 1912 along with the solar eclipse of May 22, 1724, the previous total solar eclipse visible from Paris, France250pxThe 1 May 1912 edition of the luso-Brazilian ''Brasil-Portugal'' magazine publishes photographs of the eclipse, as it was seen in Lisbon. An editorial says: "One can tell, on that moment, the mathematical regularity that presides over everything that goes on above and the considerable achievements that the oldest of sciences — Astronomy — has been meeting. While some, strong spirits, point out the fact and point out how precise are scientific calculi, the others, believers, consider that what we can grasp is still too little and, not being able to conceive a Creation without a Creator, pay homage to science but continue to kneel before God. The reader can judge the interest that the phenomenon sparked among us by himself though the photographs that follow, where one can see it all; the wise and the godless, the noble and the commoners, women and men, everyone paid no attention to earthly matters and, for a moment, observed with better or worse instruments what was going on up above. It was even a momentaneous rest for politics. "Eugène Atget photo of eclipse of April 17, 1912 in Paris
Related eclipses === Solar eclipses 1910–1913 ====== Saros 137 ===It is a part of Saros cycle 137, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, containing 70 events. The series started with partial solar eclipse on May 25, 1389.It contains total eclipses from August 20, 1533, through December 6, 1695, first set of hybrid eclipses from December 17, 1713, through February 11, 1804, first set of annular eclipses from February 21, 1822, through March 25, 1876, second set of hybrid eclipses from April 6, 1894, through April 28, 1930, and second set of annular eclipses from May 9, 1948, through April 13, 2507.The series ends at member 70 as a partial eclipse on June 28, 2633.The longest duration of totality was 2 minutes, 55 seconds on September 10, 1569.Solar Saros 137 has 55 umbral eclipses from August 20, 1533, through April 13, 2507 (973.62 years). That is almost 1 millennium.Series members 30–40 occur between 1901 and 2100:303132150pxApril 17, 1912150pxApril 28, 1930150pxMay 9, 1948333435150pxMay 20, 1966150pxMay 30, 1984150pxJune 10, 2002363738150pxJune 21, 2020150pxJuly 2, 2038150pxJuly 12, 20563940150pxJuly 24, 2074150pxAugust 3, 2092
Notes
References *  Photo of Solar Corona April 17, 1912*  Russia expedition for solar eclipse of April 17, 1912 *  The Eclipse of April 17, 1912 as Visible in France ''Popular Astronomy'', vol. 20, pp. 372–375, *  Flickr photo of eclipse watchers from France