Solar eclipse of January 14, 1907

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Monday, January 14, 1907, with a magnitude of 1.0281. 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. Totality was visible from Russian Empire (the parts now belonging to Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan) and China (now northwestern China, Mongolia and northern part of northeastern China).

The Camden Morning Post described its path as such: "The shadow track begins on the banks of the Don, in Southern Russia, where the sun rises as totality is ending. It passes over the northern part of the Caspian Sea, where totality begins at sunrise, ant then over the Aral Sea and through Russian Turkestan, Samarkand being the principal town on the shadow track. Then it passes through the Pamirs and into Central Asia, through the desert of Gobi, ending finally on the River Amur, where totality commences at sunset."

Confusion
At the time, "some confusion" existed about the date of the event: "the astronomical day begins at noon, the civil day at midnight, twelve hours earlier. Hence, according to the one system the eclipse will occur on Jan. 13, and according to the other on Jan. 14."

Observations
The day of the eclipse, it was reported in the Roanoke Times that: "according to the cable dispatches, astronomers, physicists, photographers and scientists of all branches have pitched their camps to take observations. Near the city of Tashkent eminent groups of scientists under the patronage of universities and royal societies of France, Germany, Russia and other countries have set up their instruments with long, unpronouncable names in order to observe the eclipse."

Apart from ground-based observations, the researchers also attempted to perform atmospheric studies with the aid of weather balloons. The Hamburg Observatory sent an expedition to Samarkand, to the south of Tashkent, which was expected to join up with the rest. The expedition from Paris was carried out by the Meudon Observatory, under M. Stefanik, and the British expedition by the British Astronomical Association. According to journalist Mary Proctor, despite the recent construction of railways in the region, an attempt to join one of the expeditions and report on the eclipse from the location of observation had proven fruitless: "The Russian representatives in this country refused to take any responsibility if the writer ventured into Western Turkestan [...] According to information received from the Secretary of State, who lived in China twenty-three years, it would require a month to journey from Peking to Tsair-Osu. The desert of Gobi had to be crossed, and the journey made on horseback, an armed escort being necessary, as this region is also under Russian government."

The Guardian reported that the eclipse was observed by "special scientific expeditions at Samarkand and Tashkent, in Russian Turkestan"; a Reuters correspondent telegraphed from Samarkand that the eclipse had been observed from the railway between the stations of Kuropatkin and Mijulnskaja, as snow fell. Meanwhile, a visit by Afghan amir Habibullah Khan and Lord Kitchener to Agra took place under a "distinct three-quarter eclipse of the sun". On the western edge of the path, the eclipse was observed from Yessentuki.

Eclipses in 1907

 * A total solar eclipse on January 14, 1907.
 * A partial lunar eclipse on January 29, 1907.
 * An annular solar eclipse on July 10, 1907.
 * A partial lunar eclipse on July 25, 1907.

Metonic

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 29, 1903
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 2, 1910

Tzolkinex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 3, 1899
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 25, 1914

Half-Saros

 * Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 8, 1898
 * Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 20, 1916

Tritos

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 13, 1896
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 14, 1917

Solar Saros 120

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 1, 1889
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 24, 1925

Inex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 2, 1878
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 25, 1935

Triad

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 14, 1820
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 13, 1993