A partial solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Wednesday, December 15, 1982, with a magnitude of 0.735. 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 partial solar eclipse occurs in the polar regions of the Earth when the center of the Moon's shadow misses the Earth. This was the last of four partial solar eclipses in 1982, with the others occurring on January 25, June 21, and July 20. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of Northeast Africa, Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and Central Asia.

Eclipse details

Shown below are two tables displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. The first table outlines times at which the moon's penumbra or umbra attains the specific parameter, and the second table describes various other parameters pertaining to this eclipse.

Eclipse season

This eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two (or occasionally three) eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months (173 days) later; thus two full eclipse seasons always occur each year. Either two or three eclipses happen each eclipse season. In the sequence below, each eclipse is separated by a fortnight.

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 1982

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 122

Inex

Triad

Solar eclipses of 1982–1985

Saros 122

Metonic series

Tritos series

Inex series