A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Tuesday, January 1, 1889, with a magnitude of 1.0262. 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 about 1.25 days after perigee (on December 31, 1888, at 15:10 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger. The path of totality was visible from parts of the modern-day Aleutian Islands of Alaska, California, Nevada, extreme southeastern Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota in the United States and south-central Canada. A partial solar eclipse was also visible for much of North America, Hawaii, and the western Caribbean.

Observations and predictions

Impact

Wovoka the Paiute prophet received visions during the solar eclipse of January 1889. These visions were framework for the Pan-Indian religious movement known as the Ghost Dance.

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 1889

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Solar Saros 120

Inex

Triad

Solar eclipses of 1888–1891

The partial solar eclipses on February 11, 1888 and August 7, 1888 occur in the previous lunar year eclipse set.

Saros 120

Metonic series

Tritos series

Inex series