An annular eclipse of the Sun occurred on Monday 29 September, 1856 UT (17 Sep, 1856 Old Style), with maximum eclipse at 03:59 UT. A small annular eclipse covered only 92% of the Sun in a very broad path, 831 km wide at maximum, and lasted 6 minutes and 21 seconds.

The annular eclipse lasted for 6 minutes and 21 seconds. Maximum eclipse was at 03:59:37 UT.

During this eclipse the Sun was 0.533° in apparent diameter, around average. The Moon was just a day before apogee, making it extremely small. At maximum eclipse it was 0.492° in apparent diameter, which is 7.3% smaller than average; this was not large enough to cover the Sun, which is why this was an annular eclipse. The statistics page has information on the ranges of the sizes of the Sun and Moon, and the Moon data page displays detailed information on the Moon's key dates.

Overview Map

This map sourced from NASA Goddard Space flight Center: GSFC Eclipse Web SiteGSFC Eclipse Web Site
The primary source of all the information on eclipses presented here at Hermit Eclipse. (NASA Goddard Space flight Center)
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html
shows the visibility of the annular solar eclipse. It also shows the broader area in which a partial eclipse was seen. (Click on it for the full-sized version.)

Eclipse Season and Saros Series

This eclipse season contains 2 eclipses:

This was the 49th eclipse in solar Saros series 122.The surrounding eclipses in this Saros series are:

This Saros series, solar Saros series 122, is linked to lunar Saros series 115. The nearest partner eclipses in that series are:

Eclipse Parameters

UT Date/time (max) 03:59:37 on 29 Sep UT TDT Date/time (max) 03:59:44 on 29 Sep TDT
Saros Series 122 Number in Series 49
Penumbral Magnitiude Central Magnitiude 0.9246
Gamma 0.942 Path Width (km) 831
Delta T 0m07s Error ± 0m00s (95%)
Penumbral Duration Partial Duration
Total Duration 6m21s
Partial Rating Total Rating
Sun Distance 149749560 km (54.9%) Moon Distance 406287 km (99.2%)
Sun Diameter 0.533° Moon Diameter 0.490° - 0.492°
Perigee 07:32 on 15 Sep UT Apogee 23:29 on 29 Sep UT

Note that while all dates and times on this site (except where noted) are in UT, which is within a second of civil time, the dates and times shown in NASA's eclipse listingsGSFC Eclipse Web Site
The primary source of all the information on eclipses presented here at Hermit Eclipse. (NASA Goddard Space flight Center)
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html
are in the TDT timescale.

The Sun and Moon distances are shown in km, and as a percentage of their minimum - maximum distances; hence 0% is the closest possible (Earth's perihelion, or the Moon's closest possible perigee) and 100% is the farthest (aphelion, the farthest apogee). The statistics page has information on the ranges of sizes of the Sun and Moon, and the Moon data page displays detailed information on the Moon's key dates.

Data last updated: 2015-06-21 22:11:46 UTC.