July 11, 1991 Solar Eclipse

This picture of the great solar eclipse of 1991, framed by the branches of a dead tree, was taken on the north end of the big island of Hawaii. At that point on the earth the period of totality was approximately 4 minutes. Just off the coast of Mexico, totality lasted for 6 minutes 53 seconds. This eclipse was not the longest of the 20th century though. Three earlier ones in 1937, 1955, and 1973 had a maximum duration of just over 7 minutes. No eclipse longer than any of these four will occur again until June 13, 2132.