Solar eclipse of December 24, 1973

An annular solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Monday, December 24, 1973, with a magnitude of 0.9174. 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 from southern Mexico, southwestern Nicaragua, Costa Rica including the capital city San José, Panama, Colombia including the capital city Bogotá, southern Venezuela, Brazil, southern Guyana, southern Dutch Guiana (today's Suriname), southern French Guiana, Portuguese Cape Verde (today's Cape Verde) including the capital city Praia, Mauritania including the capital city Nouakchott, Spanish Sahara (today's Western Sahara), Mali, and Algeria.

The duration of annularity at maximum eclipse (closest to but slightly shorter than the longest duration) was 12 minutes, 2.37 seconds in the Atlantic Ocean near the Brazilian coast. It was the longest annular solar eclipse until January 14, 3080, but the Solar eclipse of December 14, 1955 lasted longer.

Eclipses in 1973

 * An annular solar eclipse on January 4, 1973.
 * A penumbral lunar eclipse on January 18, 1973.
 * A penumbral lunar eclipse on June 15, 1973.
 * A total solar eclipse on June 30, 1973.
 * A penumbral lunar eclipse on July 15, 1973.
 * A partial lunar eclipse on December 10, 1973.
 * An annular solar eclipse on December 24, 1973.

Metonic

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 7, 1970
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 12, 1977

Tzolkinex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 12, 1966
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 4, 1981

Half-Saros

 * Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 19, 1964
 * Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 30, 1982

Tritos

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 25, 1963
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 22, 1984

Solar Saros 141

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 14, 1955
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 4, 1992

Inex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 14, 1945
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 4, 2002

Triad

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 22, 1887
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 24, 2060