Solar eclipse of February 16, 1980

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Saturday, February 16, 1980, with a magnitude of 1.0434. 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. The path of totality crossed central Africa, southern India, and into China at sunset. The southern part of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, also lies in the path of totality. Occurring only about 24 hours before perigee (on February 17, 1980), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger. This was a Supermoon Total Solar Eclipse because the Moon was just a day before perigee.

India


This was the third total solar eclipse visible from mainland India excluding the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the 20th century. However, most of the path of totality of the solar eclipse of August 21, 1914 in British India now belongs to Pakistan, and the only place within the path of totality of the solar eclipse of June 30, 1954 in India was in the Thar Desert where a total eclipse occurred right before sunset. Therefore, this was actually the first total solar eclipse visible from India with good observation conditions since January 22, 1898.

The Indian Institute of Astrophysics established two camps at Hosur near Hubli and at Jawalagera near Raichur, analyzing the chromospheric and coronal radiation. Observation teams from Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia also made observations nearby. The Astronomical Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences also sent a team of 7 people near Jawalagera. The weather condition was good and the team took images of the corona.

China
Being the first total solar eclipse visible from China after the Cultural Revolution, this eclipse offered much better conditions for observations, compared with the solar eclipse of September 22, 1968, the previous total one visible from China. Although both occurred before sunset with a low solar zenith angle in China, the maximum duration of totality within China was more than 1 minute and 40 seconds for this eclipse, and less than half a minute for the one in 1968.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences held a solar physics conference in Kunming in April 1975, proposing to form a joint observation of the eclipse. In March 1976, a field trip to select the location of observation was conducted. A total of 31 aspects of observations were organized, including solar optical and radio observations, ionosphere, Earth's magnetic field and gravitational field measurements. The meteorological department also studied weather changes during the eclipse. Optical observations in China were mainly conducted at Yingpan Mountain in Ruili County (now Ruili City), Yunnan, while radio observations were at Yunnan Astronomical Observatory in Fenghuang Mountain, Kunming. In addition, Shanghai Scientific and Educational Film Studio made a documentary on the entire process of the observation.

Eclipses in 1980

 * A total solar eclipse on February 16, 1980.
 * A penumbral lunar eclipse on March 1, 1980.
 * A penumbral lunar eclipse on July 27, 1980.
 * An annular solar eclipse on August 10, 1980.
 * A penumbral lunar eclipse on August 26, 1980.

Metonic

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of April 29, 1976
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 4, 1983

Tzolkinex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 4, 1973
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 29, 1987

Half-Saros

 * Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 10, 1971
 * Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 20, 1989

Tritos

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 18, 1969
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 15, 1991

Solar Saros 130

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 5, 1962
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 26, 1998

Inex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 7, 1951
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 26, 2009

Triad

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of April 16, 1893
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 17, 2066