May 2003 lunar eclipse

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Template:Short description Template:Infobox lunar eclipse A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Friday, May 16, 2003,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.1294. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon's near side entirely passes into the Earth's umbral shadow. Unlike a solar eclipse, which can only be viewed from a relatively small area of the world, a lunar eclipse may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of Earth. A total lunar eclipse can last up to nearly two hours, while a total solar eclipse lasts only a few minutes at any given place, because the Moon's shadow is smaller. Occurring only about 15 hours after perigee (on May 15, 2003, at 11:40 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[2]

This lunar eclipse marks the beginning of a tetrad, with four total lunar eclipses in series, the others being on November 9, 2003; May 4, 2004; and October 28, 2004. The previous series was in 1985 and 1986, starting with the May 1985 lunar eclipse. The next series was in 2014 and 2015, starting with the April 2014 lunar eclipse.

Visibility

The eclipse was completely visible over eastern North America, South America, the Caribbean, Antarctica, and west Africa, seen rising over western North America and the Pacific Ocean and setting over Europe, west Asia, and much of Africa.[3]

File:Lunar eclipse from moon-2003May16.png File:Lunar eclipse chart close-03may16.png
Hourly motion shown right to left
File:Lunar eclipse chart-03may16.png
The moon's path across the Earth's shadow near its descending node in Libra.

Gallery

Eclipse details

Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[4]

May 16, 2003 Lunar Eclipse Parameters
Parameter Value
Penumbral Magnitude 2.07649
Umbral Magnitude 1.12938
Gamma 0.41234
Sun Right Ascension 03h30m07.2s
Sun Declination +18°59'20.2"
Sun Semi-Diameter 15'49.2"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7"
Moon Right Ascension 15h30m43.0s
Moon Declination -18°35'31.7"
Moon Semi-Diameter 16'42.2"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°01'18.2"
ΔT 64.4 s

Eclipse season

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". 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.

Eclipse season of May 2003
May 16
Descending node (full moon)
 May 31
Ascending node (new moon)
File:Lunar eclipse chart close-03may16.png File:SE2003May31A.png
Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 121		 Annular solar eclipse
Solar Saros 147

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 2003

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Lunar Saros 121

Inex

Triad

Lunar eclipses of 2002–2005

Template:Lunar eclipse set 2002-2005

Metonic series

Template:Metonic lunar eclipse 1984-2041

Saros 121

Template:Lunar Saros series 121

Tritos series

Template:Lunar Tritos series May 2003

Inex series

Template:Lunar Inex series May 2003

Half-Saros cycle

A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).[5] This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 128.

May 10, 1994 May 20, 2012
File:SE1994May10A.png File:SE2012May20A.png

See also

References

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros

External links

Template:Lunar eclipses Template:Sister project

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