Solar eclipse of June 11, 1983

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Saturday, June 11, 1983, with a magnitude of 1.0524. 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. Occurring only 48 hours before perigee (on June 13, 1983), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.

The path of totality went through Christmas Islands, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and terminated in Vanuatu. Maximum eclipse occurred off the Indonesian island of Madura. Major Indonesian cities witnessed totality, including Yogyakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, and Makassar, in addition to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.

Restrictions of observation
To avoid blindness, Indonesian dictator president Suharto prohibited local people from observing the eclipse directly through then Information Minister Harmoko, only allowing foreigners to observe from faraway places. Besides the requirements of closing and draping over all windows and airshafts, children were asked to hide themselves in cupboards and below desks as the eclipsing sun's rays were said to be more dangerous to children than to adults. They were allowed to watch a live broadcast of the eclipse occurring over Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java, on state-owned TV channel TVRI. Because of the difference in restriction's intensity between regions, some locals did observe it.

Observation
The Chinese Eclipse Observation Team formed by Beijing Astronomical Observatory (now incorporated into the National Astronomical Observatories of China), Purple Mountain Observatory and Nanjing Astronomical Instrument Factory conducted observation in Port Moresby. Observation in Port Moresby was successful due to the cloudless weather during the eclipse, compared with the cloudy weather in Yogyakarta where teams from many countries went. The Chinese team did spectrum observations of the chromosphere and corona, the broadband corona luminosity and polarization, and the coloured photography of the whole eclipse process.

Eclipses in 1983

 * A total solar eclipse on June 11, 1983.
 * A partial lunar eclipse on June 25, 1983.
 * An annular solar eclipse on December 4, 1983.
 * A penumbral lunar eclipse on December 20, 1983.

Metonic

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 22, 1979
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 29, 1987

Tzolkinex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of April 29, 1976
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of July 22, 1990

Half-Saros

 * Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 4, 1974
 * Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 15, 1992

Tritos

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of July 10, 1972
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of May 10, 1994

Solar Saros 127

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of May 30, 1965
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of June 21, 2001

Inex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of June 30, 1954
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of May 20, 2012

Triad

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 9, 1896
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of April 11, 2070