1997 Mar 9 Total Solar Eclipse

1997 Mar 9 Total Solar Eclipse

Observing this winter eclipse turned out to be a challenge. Travel to Mongolia and Siberia is not easy, and average daytime temperatures along the path of totality range from freezing to much colder. Most sites in Mongolia were clouded out (actually, some were "snowed out"). Maximum duration of totality was 2 minutes 49 seconds. This eclipse is in the same saros series as the total solar eclipse of 1979 Feb 26, the last total solar eclipse in North America. Comet Hale-Bopp was also visible during this event. Only on two previous occasions -- in 1882 and 1948 -- has a comet been seen at a total solar eclipse.

(Map courtesy of Eclipse Home Page and Fred Espenak, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

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