Solar eclipse of July 11, 1991

The total solar eclipse of 11 July 1991, with a totality duration of almost seven minutes one of the longest ever, longer than their Saros successor, the solar eclipse of 22 July 2009, which is after all, the longest of the entire 21st century. Still, she was only the third longest in the 20th century; Saros their predecessors on 30 June 1973 and 20 June 1955, even longer.

All these eclipses belonging to Saros 136, which reached its mid-life in the 20th century, and thus was at its peak. Added to that the moon just to the Saros cycle center always was near perigee, and the Earth is always close to the aphelion. The apparent size of the moon was thus made ​​particularly large and the sun particularly small. Conclusion: solar eclipses with an extra wide central zone and long duration.

Saros 136 began June 14, 1360 with a small partial eclipse in the Southern Ocean. After 8 partial eclipses in the southern hemisphere, there were 6 and 6 hybrid annular eclipses, all in the southern hemisphere of the earth. Since 27 January 1721, the eclipses are total and remain there until May 13, 2496th After the total 44 then 7 partial eclipses of the sun on the northern hemisphere, the Saros 136 end on July 30, 2622.

The maximum phase was reached in mexikamischen state of Nayarit, where the sun was 6 minutes 53 seconds long totally covered from the moon. Many amateur astronomers traveled specially Mexico and were able to observe from there with a cloudless sky the imposantensten eclipses.