MORE ABOUT THE SOLAR ECLIPSES IN THE 20TH CENTURY

av Oddleiv Skilbrei

There was a total solar eclipse visible in the North of Norway on August 9th 1896. A Saros cycle later it was followed by the total solar eclipse on August 21th 1914, which was total in the county Nordland. Since this eclipse occurred the same month as the First World War started, it didn’t receive much attention. A large German expedition made measurements from Norway despite of the war.

The total solar eclipse on July 9th 1945 was total in the middle part of Scandinavia. In Norway the totality zone passed over amongst others the town Mo i Rana. Because of clouds the whole eclipse was spoiled in the area of Norway where it was total. The eclipse occurred only two months after the end of the Second World War, but an expedition was still successfully organized, choosing Mofjell near Mo i Rana as an observational location. The expedition was sent from The Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, and several of the participants were amateur astronomers from The Norwegian Astronomical Society. The expedition consisted of a total of 11 people, and received assistance from Mofjellet Gruber to transport around a tonne of equipment up the mountain by cable car. Everything was then organized and all the equipment tested. On the big day, however, there was a cloud layer hiding the eclipse and the only person able to go through with his measurements independent of the weather was the astronomer Jelstrup, who worked with magnetic investigations and studies of radio waves during the eclipse.

In Sweden there were expeditions near Brattås and Bjuröklubb by Bottenviken, and a few of them had more luck with the weather. The expeditions were, however, considered more of a test for the work being planned for the eclipse on June 30th 1954.

The information above (somewhat edited) is from the book “Solformørkelse” (“Solar Eclipse”), by Ingolf Ruud at J.W.Cappelens Publishing House previous to the eclipse of 1954.

On April 8th 1921 an annular solar eclipse occurred in the north, visible from amongst others Tromsø.

The total solar eclipse of 1954 as seen from Syvertsvolden in Drammensfjorden. Photo: Kristian Reinsfelt