A partial eclipse of the Sun occurred on Sunday 2 December, 1956 UT, with maximum eclipse at 08:00 UT. This was a deep partial eclipse, with 80% of the Sun covered for viewers closest to the center. This provided a significant spectacle for those who saw it.

Maximum eclipse was at 08:00:03 UT.

During this eclipse the Sun was 0.541° in apparent diameter, 1.5% larger than average. The Moon was 10 days after perigee and 5 days before apogee. At maximum eclipse it was 0.506° in apparent diameter, which is 4.7% smaller than average. This has no real effect on this eclipse, since the Moon's central shadow misses the Earth, making this a partial 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 partial solar eclipse. (Click on it for the full-sized version.)

Eclipse Season and Saros Series

This eclipse season contains 2 eclipses:

This was the 11th eclipse in solar Saros series 151.The surrounding eclipses in this Saros series are:

This Saros series, solar Saros series 151, is linked to lunar Saros series 144. The nearest partner eclipses in that series are:

Eclipse Parameters

UT Date/time (max) 08:00:03 on 2 Dec UT TDT Date/time (max) 08:00:35 on 2 Dec TDT
Saros Series 151 Number in Series 11
Penumbral Magnitiude Central Magnitiude 0.8047
Gamma 1.0923 Path Width (km) 0
Delta T 0m32s Error ± 0m00s (95%)
Penumbral Duration Partial Duration
Total Duration
Partial Rating Total Rating
Sun Distance 147469829 km (7.8%) Moon Distance 393537 km (73.8%)
Sun Diameter 0.541° Moon Diameter 0.506° - 0.506°
Perigee 16:49 on 21 Nov UT Apogee 15:50 on 7 Dec 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.