A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Wednesday, February 15, 1961,[1] with a magnitude of 1.036.

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.

Occurring about 21 hours after perigee (on February 14, 1961, at 11:30 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.

[2] Totality was visible from France, Monaco, Italy, San Marino, SFR Yugoslavia (parts now belonging to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo, North Macedonia), Albania, Bulgaria including the capital city Sofia, Romania including the capital city Bucharest, and the Soviet Union (parts now belonging to Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan).

A team from the University of Texas observed the total eclipse in Pisa, Italy, mostly studying the solar irradiance with a wavelength below 1 centimeter.

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