View source for Solar eclipse of November 23, 2003

{{Short description|Total eclipse}}
{{Infobox solar eclipse|2003Nov23
|image = File:ECLIPSE LUNAR (3254112650).jpg
| previous         = Solar eclipse of May 31, 2003
| next             = Solar eclipse of April 19, 2004
}}
A total [[solar eclipse]] occurred at the Moon's [[Lunar node|descending node]] of orbit between Sunday, November 23 and Monday, November 24, 2003,<ref>{{cite web|title=November 23–24, 2003 Total Solar Eclipse|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2003-november-23|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=11 August 2024}}</ref><ref name="Whiteh20031124p16">{{Cite news
  | url         = https://newspapers.com/article/whitehorse-daily-star-eclipse-of-sun-vie/134036660/
  | date        = 2003-11-24
  | page        = 16
  | title       = Eclipse of sun viewed on Antarctic for first time
  | newspaper   = Whitehorse Daily Star
  | location    =
  | via         = Newspapers.com
  | access-date = 2023-10-25
}}</ref><!-- Mon --> with a [[Magnitude of eclipse|magnitude]] of 1.0379. 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 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 25 minutes before [[Apsis|perigee]] (on November 23, 2003, at 23:15 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was near its maximum.<ref>{{cite web|title=Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/distance.html?year=2003&n=136|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=11 August 2024}}</ref> Perigee did occur just past the greatest point of this eclipse.

For most solar eclipses the path of totality moves eastwards. In this case the path moved south and then west round Antarctica.

Totality was visible from a corridor in eastern [[Antarctica]]. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], [[Antarctica]], southern [[Chile]], and southern [[Argentina]].

== Observations ==
A Russian icebreaker departed from [[Port Elizabeth]], [[South Africa]] carrying tourists to observe the eclipse near the [[Shackleton Ice Shelf]] and [[Novolazarevskaya Station]], and then sailed to [[Hobart]], [[Tasmania]]. About 100 people from 15 countries were on board, including Iranian amateur astronomer [[Babak Amin Tafreshi]], [[NASA]]'s [[Goddard Space Flight Center]] astrophysicist [[Fred Espenak]], [[Williams College]] professor [[Jay Pasachoff]]. There are also about 200 scientists and tourists taking two commercial [[air charter|charter flights]] to observe it over Antarctica. This was the first time humans observed a total solar eclipse from Antarctica.<ref name="AAD">{{cite web|title=Ice and fire: A total solar eclipse over Antarctica|url=http://www.antarctica.gov.au/magazine/2001-2005/issue-6-autumn-2004/feature/ice-and-fire-a-total-solar-eclipse-over-antarctica|publisher=Australian Antarctic Division|archive-date=4 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204142628/http://www.antarctica.gov.au/magazine/2001-2005/issue-6-autumn-2004/feature/ice-and-fire-a-total-solar-eclipse-over-antarctica}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Antarctica – 23 November 2003|url=http://eclipseguy.com/reports/antarctica-23-november-2003/|archive-date=7 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307192339/http://eclipseguy.com/reports/antarctica-23-november-2003/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Glenn Schneider|title=TSE 2003  & TOTAL ECLIPSE IMAGING From the Flight Deck of QF2901/Antarctica 23 November 2003|url=http://nicmosis.as.arizona.edu:8000/ECLIPSE_WEB/ECLIPSE_03/QF2901_IMAGING/TSE2003_REPORT.html|archive-date=20 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151220195536/http://nicmosis.as.arizona.edu:8000/ECLIPSE_WEB/ECLIPSE_03/QF2901_IMAGING/TSE2003_REPORT.html}}</ref>


== Images ==

[[File:MEDIA LUNA (3254112834).jpg|thumb|left|A photo of the eclipse.]]
[[File:SE2003Nov23T.gif]]<br />
{{clear}}

== Eclipse details ==
Shown below are two tables displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. The first table outlines times at which the moon's penumbra or umbra attains the specific parameter, and the second table describes various other parameters pertaining to this eclipse.<ref>{{cite web|title=Total Solar Eclipse of 2003 Nov 23|url=https://eclipsewise.com/solar/SEprime/2001-2100/SE2003Nov23Tprime.html|publisher=EclipseWise.com|access-date=11 August 2024}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" align="{{{align|left}}}" style="margin:{{#ifeq:{{{align}}}|left|0 0 0.5em 1em|0 1em 0.5em 0}}"
|+November 23, 2003 Solar Eclipse Times
! Event
! Time (UTC)
|-
| First Penumbral External Contact
| 2003 November 23 at 20:47:10.0 UTC
|-
| First Umbral External Contact
| 2003 November 23 at 22:20:25.7 UTC
|-
| First Central Line
| 2003 November 23 at 22:23:45.1 UTC
|-
| First Umbral Internal Contact
| 2003 November 23 at 22:27:31.3 UTC
|-
| Greatest Duration
| 2003 November 23 at 22:50:18.7 UTC
|-
| Greatest Eclipse
| 2003 November 23 at 22:50:21.7 UTC
|-
| Ecliptic Conjunction
| 2003 November 23 at 23:00:01.3 UTC
|-
| Equatorial Conjunction
| 2003 November 23 at 23:21:19.7 UTC
|-
| Last Umbral Internal Contact
| 2003 November 23 at 23:12:52.0 UTC
|-
| Last Central Line
| 2003 November 23 at 23:16:38.4 UTC
|-
| Last Umbral External Contact
| 2003 November 23 at 23:19:57.9 UTC
|-
| Last Penumbral External Contact
| 2003 November 24 at 00:53:20.5 UTC
|}

{|class="wikitable" align="{{{align|right}}}" style="margin:{{#ifeq:{{{align}}}|right|0 0 0.5em 1em|0 1em 0.5em 0}}"
|+November 23, 2003 Solar Eclipse Parameters
! Parameter
! Value
|-
| Eclipse Magnitude
| 1.03789
|-
| Eclipse Obscuration
| 1.07721
|-
| Gamma
| −0.96381
|-
| Sun Right Ascension
| 15h56m23.2s
|-
| Sun Declination
| -20°24'22.8"
|-
| Sun Semi-Diameter
| 16'11.8"
|-
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax
| 08.9"
|-
| Moon Right Ascension
| 15h55m07.5s
|-
| Moon Declination
| -21°20'45.7"
|-
| Moon Semi-Diameter
| 16'44.7"
|-
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax
| 1°01'27.3"
|-
| ΔT
| 64.5 s
|}
{{clear}}

== Eclipse season ==
{{See also|Eclipse cycle}}
This eclipse is part of an [[eclipse season]], a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two (or occasionally three) eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months (173 days) later; thus two full eclipse seasons always occur each year. Either two or three eclipses happen each eclipse season. In the sequence below, each eclipse is separated by a [[fortnight]].

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Eclipse season of November 2003
! [[November 2003 lunar eclipse|November 9]]<br/>Ascending node (full moon)<br/> !! [[Solar eclipse of November 23, 2003|November 23]]<br/>Descending node (new moon)<br/>
|-
| [[File:Lunar eclipse chart close-03nov09.png|200px]] || [[File:SE2003Nov23T.png|200px]]
|- align=center
| [[Lunar eclipse#Types of lunar eclipse|Total lunar eclipse]]<br />Lunar Saros 126 || [[Total eclipse#Types|Total solar eclipse]]<br />Solar Saros 152
|}

== Related eclipses ==
=== Eclipses in 2003 ===
* [[May 2003 lunar eclipse|A total lunar eclipse on May 16]].
* [[Solar eclipse of May 31, 2003|An annular solar eclipse on May 31]].
* [[November 2003 lunar eclipse|A total lunar eclipse on November 9]].
* '''A total solar eclipse on November 23.'''

=== Metonic ===
* Preceded by: [[Solar eclipse of February 5, 2000]]
* Followed by: [[Solar eclipse of September 11, 2007]]

=== Tzolkinex ===
* Preceded by: [[Solar eclipse of October 12, 1996]]
* Followed by: [[Solar eclipse of January 4, 2011]]

=== Half-Saros ===
* Preceded by: [[November 1994 lunar eclipse|Lunar eclipse of November 18, 1994]]
* Followed by: [[November 2012 lunar eclipse|Lunar eclipse of November 28, 2012]]

=== Tritos ===
* Preceded by: [[Solar eclipse of December 24, 1992]]
* Followed by: [[Solar eclipse of October 23, 2014]]

=== Solar Saros 152 ===
* Preceded by: [[Solar eclipse of November 12, 1985]]
* Followed by: [[Solar eclipse of December 4, 2021]]

=== Inex ===
* Preceded by: [[Solar eclipse of December 13, 1974]]
* Followed by: [[Solar eclipse of November 3, 2032]]

=== Triad ===
* Preceded by: [[Solar eclipse of January 23, 1917]]
* Followed by: [[Solar eclipse of September 23, 2090]]

=== Solar eclipses of 2000–2003 ===
{{Solar eclipse set 2000–2003}}

=== Saros 152 ===
{{Solar Saros series 152}}

=== Metonic series ===
{{Solar Metonic series 1931–2011}}

=== Tritos series ===
{{Solar Tritos series 2003 November 23}}

=== Inex series ===
{{Solar Inex series 2003 November 23}}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

== References ==
* [[Fred Espenak]] and Jay Anderson. "''[https://web.archive.org/web/20060615114721/http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEmono/TSE2003/TSE2003.html Total Solar Eclipse of 2003 November 23]''". [[NASA]], July 2003.
{{Solar eclipse NASA reference|2001/SE2003Nov23T|20031123}}
** [http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot2001/SE2003Nov23T.GIF NASA graphics]
* [http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/xSE_GoogleMapFull.php?Ecl=+20031123&Acc=2&Umb=1&Lmt=1&Mag=0 Google Map]

'''Photos:'''
* [http://www.zam.fme.vutbr.cz/~druck/Eclipse/Ecl2003a/0-info.htm Prof. Druckmüller's eclipse photography site. Flight over Antarctica]
* [http://cmhas.wikispaces.com/ECLIPSE_Antarctica Images from Antarctica by Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090726001846/http://cmhas.wikispaces.com/ECLIPSE_Antarctica |date=2009-07-26 }}
* [http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080504.html] [[APOD]] 8/5/2004, An Antarctic Total Solar Eclipse
* [http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031127.html] [[APOD]] 11/27/2003, The Long Shadow of the Moon, Total solar eclipse from satellite over Antarctica

{{Solar eclipses}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Solar Eclipse Of November 23, 2003}}
[[Category:Total solar eclipses|2003 11 23]]
[[Category:2003 in science]]
[[Category:21st-century solar eclipses|2003 11 23]]
[[Category:November 2003]]