Solar eclipse of August 22, 1998

An annular solar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Saturday, August 22, 1998, with a magnitude of 0.9734. 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. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun's, blocking most of the Sun's light and causing the Sun to look like an annulus (ring). An annular eclipse appears as a partial eclipse over a region of the Earth thousands of kilometres wide. Annularity was visible in Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands (Bellona Island and Rennell Island) and Vanuatu. Occurring only 5.2 days before apogee (on August 27, 1998), the Moon’s apparent diameter was 3.6% smaller than average.

Observations
It is usually very dry in Malaysia in August. But due to the El Niño, it rained every day for 2 weeks before the eclipse. On the eclipse day, the sun kept going in and out the gaps of the clouds at first, and later the clouds dispersed near Kota Tinggi District, the observation site of NASA's Johnson Space Center. The whole annular phase was seen. The sky cleared up completely 40 minutes later.

Eclipses in 1998

 * A total solar eclipse on February 26, 1998.
 * A penumbral lunar eclipse on March 13, 1998.
 * A penumbral lunar eclipse on August 8, 1998.
 * An annular solar eclipse on August 22, 1998.
 * A penumbral lunar eclipse on September 6, 1998.

Metonic

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 3, 1994
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of June 10, 2002

Tzolkinex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of July 11, 1991
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 3, 2005

Half-Saros

 * Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 16, 1989
 * Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 28, 2007

Tritos

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of September 23, 1987
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of July 22, 2009

Solar Saros 135

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 10, 1980
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 1, 2016

Inex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of September 11, 1969
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of August 2, 2027

Triad

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of October 22, 1911
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of June 22, 2085