A total eclipse of the Sun occurred on Saturday 5 April, 1856 UT (24 Mar, 1856 Old Style), with maximum eclipse at 06:00 UT. A dramatic total eclipse plunged the Sun into darkness for 3 minutes and 56 seconds at maximum, creating an amazing spectacle for observers in a very broad path, 285 km wide at maximum.
The total eclipse lasted for 3 minutes and 56 seconds.
Maximum eclipse was at 06:00:54 UT.
During this eclipse the Sun was 0.532° in apparent
diameter, around average. The Moon was at perigee, making it very large.
At the start and end of the eclipse the Moon
was 0.555°, and at maximum eclipse 0.561°,
which is 5.7% larger than average; hence it covered the Sun,
making this a total 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)
shows the visibility of the total 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 60th eclipse in solar Saros series 117.The surrounding eclipses in this Saros series are:
This Saros series, solar Saros series 117,
is linked to lunar Saros series 110. The
nearest partner eclipses in that series are:
Eclipse Parameters
| UT Date/time (max) | 06:00:54 on 5 Apr UT |
TDT Date/time (max) | 06:01:01 on 5 Apr TDT |
| Saros Series | 117 |
Number in Series | 60 |
| Penumbral Magnitiude | |
Central Magnitiude | 1.0539 |
| Gamma | -0.7906 |
Path Width (km) | 285 |
| Delta T | 0m07s |
Error | ± 0m00s (95%) |
| Penumbral Duration | |
Partial Duration | |
| Total Duration | 3m56s |
| |
| Partial Rating | |
Total Rating | |
| Sun Distance | 149783587 km (55.6%) |
Moon Distance | 358531 km (4.2%) |
| Sun Diameter | 0.532° |
Moon Diameter | 0.555° - 0.561° |
| Perigee | 12:19 on 4 Apr UT |
Apogee | 02:29 on 17 Apr 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)
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.
