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From: tj@alliant.UUCP (Tom Jaskiewicz)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Sunset Eclipse?
Message-ID: <331@alliant.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-Oct-86 15:18:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: alliant.331
Posted: Thu Oct 16 15:18:00 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 21-Oct-86 17:43:28 EDT
References: <649@nike.UUCP>
Reply-To: tj@alliant.UUCP (Tom Jaskiewicz)
Distribution: world
Organization: Alliant Computer Systems, Acton, MA
Lines: 31

In article <649@nike.UUCP> watson@nike.UUCP (John S. Watson) writes:
>     Is it possible to have a sunset eclipse?
>Or is the geometry such that it can only happen during mid-day,

Both sunrise and sunset eclipses do occur.  An eclipse is the shadow of
the moon crossing the surface of the earth.  The path of totality
usually begins at sunrise and ends at sunset.

>  Or is it that eclipses are so 
>rare that a sunset eclipse has just never happened in recorded memory?

People who go to see or study solar eclipses usually want the longest
possible period of totality, which occurs around noon.  Not many try
to see the sunrise or sunset eclipse.

The 1984 total solar eclipse had only 1 landfall (both the sunrise and
sunset eclipses were at sea).  You had to get up early to see the
partial phase at sunrise and the total phase an hour later.  But the
people who did this would have preferred to be a a point closer to
midday.  The only such point was aboard a ship, which isn't good for
telescopes and other equipment.

Quiz time:  You are planning to be on a beach to see an eclipse at
	    sunset.  How much sandy space will be available to set
	    up telescopes in?  That is, will the tide be low or
	    high (or in between)?

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