title: Solar eclipse of April 7, 1978
text: # Solar eclipse of April 7, 1978
  
  A partial solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of the orbit on Friday, April 7, 1978. A solar eclipse 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 partial solar eclipse occurs in the polar regions of the Earth when the center of the Moon's shadow misses the Earth.
  
  ## Related eclipses
  
  ### Eclipses in 1978
  
  * A total lunar eclipse on Friday, 24 March 1978.
  * A partial solar eclipse on Friday, 7 April 1978.
  * A total lunar eclipse on Saturday, 16 September 1978.
  * A partial solar eclipse on Monday, 2 October 1978.
  
  ### Solar eclipses of 1975–1978
  
  There were 8 solar eclipses (at 6 month intervals) between May 11, 1975 and October 2, 1978.
  
  Solar eclipse series sets from 1975–1978 :
  
  | Descending node | Descending node | Descending node | Ascending node | Ascending node | Ascending node |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Saros | Map | Gamma | Saros | Map | Gamma |
  | 118 | 1975 May 11 Partial | 1.06472 | 123 | 1975 November 3 Partial | -1.02475 |
  | 128 | 1976 April 29 Annular | 0.33783 | 133 | 1976 October 23 Total | -0.32699 |
  | 138 | 1977 April 18 Annular | -0.39903 | 143 | 1977 October 12 Total | 0.38363 |
  | 148 | 1978 April 7 Partial | -1.10812 | 153 | 1978 October 2 Partial | 1.16164 |
  
  ### Metonic series
  
  The metonic series repeats eclipses every 19 years (6939.69 days), lasting about 5 cycles. Eclipses occur in nearly the same calendar date. In addition, the octon subseries repeats 1/5 of that or every 3.8 years (1387.94 days).
  
  22 eclipse events, progressing from north to south between April 8, 1902, and August 31, 1989: :
  
  | April 7–8 | January 24–25 | November 12 | August 31-September 1 | June 19–20 |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 108 | | | 114 | 116 |
  | April 8, 1902 | | | August 31, 1913 | June 19, 1917 |
  | 118 | 120 | 122 | 124 | 126 |
  | April 8, 1921 | January 24, 1925 | November 12, 1928 | August 31, 1932 | June 19, 1936 |
  | 128 | 130 | 132 | 134 | 136 |
  | April 7, 1940 | January 25, 1944 | November 12, 1947 | September 1, 1951 | June 20, 1955 |
  | 138 | 140 | 142 | 144 | 146 |
  | April 8, 1959 | January 25, 1963 | November 12, 1966 | August 31, 1970 | June 20, 1974 |
  | 148 | 150 | 152 | 154 |
  | April 7, 1978 | January 25, 1982 | November 12, 1985 | August 31, 1989 |
  