Solar eclipse of May 20, 1947

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Tuesday, May 20, 1947, with a magnitude of 1.0557. 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 Chile including the capital city Santiago, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Liberia, French West Africa (the parts now belonging to Ivory Coast and Benin), British Gold Coast (today's Ghana) including capital Accra, French Togoland (today's Togo) including capital Lomé, British Nigeria (today's Nigeria) including capital Lagos, French Cameroons (now belonging to Cameroon), French Equatorial Africa (the parts now belonging to Central African Republic and R. Congo), Belgian Congo (today's DR Congo), British Uganda (today's Uganda), British Tanganyika (now belonging to Tanzania), and British Kenya (today's Kenya). The southern part of Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside Asia, and Iguazu Falls, one of the largest waterfalls systems in the world, lie in the path of totality.

Observations
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada sent a team to Araxa, Brazil. On the morning of the eclipse day, the sky was covered with clouds. Although a slight part of sunlight was seen through the gaps in the clouds around the first contact (the beginning of the partial phase), the weather did not improve after that. The eclipse ended at noon, and the sky began to clear up in the afternoon. The team documented changes in winds and luminance of the sky. Australian radio astronomers originally planned to go to Brazil to make radio observations to promote the development of radio astronomy in Australia. However, the shipping of the equipments could only be made via London at that time, and it was not made before the eclipse in the end, so the plan was not successful. Another team from the Soviet Union successfully made radio observations in Brazil.

Eclipses in 1947

 * A total solar eclipse on May 20, 1947.
 * A partial lunar eclipse on June 3, 1947.
 * An annular solar eclipse on November 12, 1947.
 * A penumbral lunar eclipse on November 28, 1947.

Metonic

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 1, 1943
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 7, 1951

Tzolkinex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of April 7, 1940
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of June 30, 1954

Half-Saros

 * Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 14, 1938
 * Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 24, 1956

Tritos

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of June 19, 1936
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of April 19, 1958

Solar Saros 127

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of May 9, 1929
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of May 30, 1965

Inex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of June 8, 1918
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of April 29, 1976

Triad

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of July 18, 1860
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 20, 2034