A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Sunday, August 9, 1896, with a magnitude of 1.0392.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness.

Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide.

A group of 165 amateur and professional astronomers sailed from Tilbury, England on July 25, heading toward Vadsø, Norway.

[2] This expedition failed to produce any usable results as they were frustrated by the weather conditions at the time of the eclipse.

[3] However, a smaller expedition to Novaya Zemlya on Sir George Baden-Powell's yacht Otario met with success.

Their appearance and longitude are irregular due to a lack of synchronization with the anomalistic month (period of perigee).