Solar eclipse of February 26, 1979


A total solar eclipse occurred in North America on February 26, 1979.
A solar eclipse is an astronomical phenomenon that 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 18 hours and 35 minutes after perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
The central shadow of the moon passed through the American states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota, the Canadian provinces Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, the Northwest Territories of Canada, and Greenland.

Visibility

Many visitors traveled to the Pacific Northwest to view the Monday morning eclipse, as it was the last chance to view a total solar eclipse in the contiguous United States for 38 years, 5 months, 26 days. The next opportunity was on August 21, 2017.
Although the path of totality passed through Portland shortly after sunrise (maximum at it was not directly observable due to overcast skies in northwestern Oregon.
About a half hour later, the path of totality was in Manitoba and passed through cloudless Winnipeg in the late morning, maximum was at The greatest eclipse occurred seven minutes later at 10:55 am CST.

In literature

Writer Annie Dillard viewed the eclipse from the Yakima Valley, in central Washington State. She described her impressions of the eclipse in an essay, "Total Eclipse," first published in the magazine Antaeus and then in her collection, Teaching a Stone to Talk. It was later selected for inclusion in The Best American Essays of the Century. Dillard describes a nearly overwhelming emotional experience, as suggested in this quotation: "I pray you will never see anything more awful in the sky." Describing the reactions of other onlookers, she relates "I heard screams."
The 1979 eclipse was also referenced in the opening pages of Douglas Coupland's novel, Generation X.

Related eclipses

A partial lunar eclipse occurred on March 13, 1979, 15 days later, visible over Africa, Europe and Asia. 177 days later after the total solar eclipse of February 26, 1979, occurred an annular solar eclipse on August 22, 1979. A total lunar eclipse followed on September 6, 1979. 355 days after the total solar eclipse of February 26, 1979, occurred a total solar eclipse on February 16, 1980.

Solar eclipses of 1979–1982

Saros 120

Metonic cycle