Solar Eclipses visible in South Africa in the Twentieth Century 97 
(6) Total Eclipse of October 1, 1940. 
This, as far as South Africa is concerned, is the most important 
eclipse of the twentieth century, being the only total eclipse of the 
sun visible in South Africa during the next hundred years. 
The central shadow enters the Colony at Zout River mouth at 
2h. 6 m. (G.M.T.), and leaves the Colony at 2h. 15 m. at a point on 
the coast fifteen miles north of the mouth of the Kei. Some idea 
may be formed of the great swiftness with which the shadow sweeps 
over the Colony by observing that it only takes nine minutes to cross 
from west to east. 
Some points on the central line of total eclipse are Zout River mouth ; 
six miles south of Calvinia; eight miles north of Fraserburg ; eight 
miles south of Murraysburg ; six miles north of Graaff-Reinet ; summit 
of Great Winterberg ; Bontebok Flats and Kei Bridge. Along this 
line the duration of totality will be a maximum, varying from four 
minutes in the west to three and a half minutes in the east. 
The breadth of the zone of totality is 123 miles; that is, the eclipse 
will be total at all places within sixty miles on either side of the 
central line, but the duration of totality will be shorter the further 
from the central line any place is. 
Within the zone of totality are the following places: 
Time {Duration Time /Duration 
Town. of of Town. of of 
Totality.| Totality. Totality.| Totality. 
G.M.T. G.M.T. 
H. M. M. H. M. M. 
Hondeklip Bay -| 2 6] 1:5 |Bedford§ - -| 214] 3-1 
Clanwilliam =| ts) 2:0 | Tarkastadt - -| 2 14 3:2 
Calvinia; - 11 745 ie: 3°9 | Adelaide - of) 15) eo 
Sutherland - 172). 9 9:3 | Fort Beaufort ALS By) 
Fraserburg - =| 24 9 39 Seymour = -| 215] 3-4 
Fraserburg Road| 2 10 | 0:3 | Queenstown -| 215] 28 
Beaufort West -| 2 11 3°4 | Whittlesea - et) 215: 3°4 
Victoria West -/| 2 11 2°8 |Lovedale - = Oe 32 
Murraysburg -/ 211 3:7 |Cathart  - Secon pone: 
Richmond - =e all. 2°3 | Peddie = 3) Ales) 1} 
Aberdeen - =H) 1) B95} || dewnai@) - =| Dy dS BI 
Graaff-Reinet -| 2 12 3°7 | Stutterheim =|) OP UG. oct 
Jansenville - -| 2138) 22 |King William’s 
Middleburg- -| 213 | 24 Town - = (2.26) }°3:0 
Cradock - -|213) 35 |Komgha_ - -|2 16] 3-4 
Somerset Hast -| 2 13 3:1 | East London’ ~-| 2 16 2°8 
Maraisburg- -| 213 | 25 |Butterworth -|216| 3-1 
Cookhouse - ake oa idutywar = 9) 2° tor) 7 2°8 
