Solar eclipse of October 24, 1995

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Tuesday, October 24, 1995, with a magnitude of 1.0213. 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 went through Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, southwestern tip of Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Spratly Islands, northeastern tip of Sabah of Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia.

India
An aerial observation of this eclipse was done over India, when a MiG-25 reconnaissance aircraft of the Indian Air Force was used to take images of this eclipse at an altitude of 25 km.

The Indian Institute of Astrophysics established camps along the path of totality in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Iradatganj and Diamond Harbour near Kolkata. Astronomers from other institutions and abroad from the Slovakia, Brazil, Russia, Japan and Germany joined IIA at its camps. An IIA team also photographed the eclipse by chasing the Moon’s shadow in an Indian Air Force plane AN-32 from the crew escape hatch on the roof of the cockpit at an altitude of 10000 ft above the sea level, which was the first time efforts made by the institute. Doordarshan and All India Radio made live coverages of the eclipse. The eclipse happened to occur on the day of the Diwali.

China
Within the Spratly Islands claimed by China, only Cuarteron Reef was controlled by China and lay in the path of totality. Instead of going to the faraway island, The Popular Science Committee of the Chinese Astronomical Society, Beijing Astronomical Society, Beijing Planetarium and Beijing Astronomical Observatory (now incorporated into the National Astronomical Observatories of China) jointly organized observations abroad for the first time. A team of 4 was sent to Sikhio district, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand by the Beijing Planetarium, and successfully photographed the whole process of the eclipse, the corona at the greatest eclipse, and the Baily's beads at the 2nd and 3rd contact.

In addition, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Electronics Industry, China Earthquake Administration, State Education Commission (now Ministry of Education) and departments in charge of water conservancy and meteorology conducted joint observations on changes of solar radiation, ionosphere, geomagnetic field, radio and acoustic heavy waves, mainly in the Paracel Islands, Sanya, Haikou and Zhengzhou. From all these places, only a partial solar eclipse was visible instead of a total solar eclipse.

List of major cities in the path of totality

 * Birjand, Iran
 * Lashkargah, Afghanistan
 * Bahawalpur, Pakistan
 * Sikar, Rajasthan, India
 * Alwar, Rajasthan, India
 * Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India
 * Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India
 * Dholpur, Rajasthan, India
 * Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh, India
 * Manjhanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
 * Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India
 * Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, India
 * Robertsganj, Uttar Pradesh, India
 * Daltonganj, Jharkhand, India
 * Purulia, West Bengal, India
 * Panskura, West Bengal, India
 * Tamluk, West Bengal, India
 * Batanagar, West Bengal, India
 * Nakhon Sawan, Thailand
 * Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
 * Siem Reap, Cambodia
 * Kratié, Cambodia
 * Phan Thiết, Vietnam

In popular culture
Phil Whitaker's prize-winning debut novel Eclipse of the Sun published in 1997 and set in India has at its centre a dramatic attempt to organize a public viewing of the eclipse.

Eclipses in 1995

 * A partial lunar eclipse on April 15, 1995.
 * An annular solar eclipse on April 29, 1995.
 * A penumbral lunar eclipse on October 8, 1995.
 * A total solar eclipse on October 24, 1995.

Metonic

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 4, 1992
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of August 11, 1999

Tzolkinex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of September 11, 1988
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 4, 2002

Half-Saros

 * Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 17, 1986
 * Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 28, 2004

Tritos

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 22, 1984
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 22, 2006

Solar Saros 143

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of October 12, 1977
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 3, 2013

Inex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 12, 1966
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 2, 2024

Triad

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 23, 1908
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of August 24, 2082