Solar eclipse of April 17, 1912

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Wednesday, April 17, 1912, with a magnitude of 1.0003. 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
During a hybrid solar eclipse, the apex of the moon's umbral cone was very close to the Earth's surface, and the magnitude was very large. The edges of the moon and the sun were very close to each other as seen from the Earth in both the total and annular portion of the path. A series of Baily's beads on the lunar limb provided an excellent opportunity to measure the size and shape of the Earth, as well as the mountains and valleys on the lunar limb. Measurements were made in Europe to locate precisely the limits of the umbral shadow by spreading people every 100 metres along a straight road.

The hybrid solar eclipse of April 28, 1930, also belonging to Solar Saros 137, also occurred with a magnitude close to 1. Similar observations were made near Camptonville, California. Such observations were also made during two later annular solar eclipses of May 9, 1948 in Rebun Island, Japan and May 20, 1966 in Greece and Turkey, also belonging to the same solar Saros cycle. Similar measurements were also done in New York City during the total solar eclipse of January 24, 1925, which did not belong to the same Saros cycle 137 had a magnitude much larger than 1.

Eclipses in 1912

 * A partial lunar eclipse on April 1, 1912.
 * A hybrid solar eclipse on April 17, 1912.
 * A partial lunar eclipse on September 26, 1912.
 * A total solar eclipse on October 10, 1912.

Metonic

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of June 28, 1908
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 3, 1916

Tzolkinex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 6, 1905
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of May 29, 1919

Half-Saros

 * Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 12, 1903
 * Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 22, 1921

Tritos

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of May 18, 1901
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 17, 1923

Solar Saros 137

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of April 6, 1894
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of April 28, 1930

Inex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of May 6, 1883
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 27, 1941

Triad

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of June 16, 1825
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 16, 1999