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2004 Lunar Eclipse Sequence The total lunar eclipse of 2004 Oct 28 was widely visible from the USA. This sequence of images captures the eclipse from start (right) to finish (left). (click to see more images)
Introduction
What is an eclipse of the Moon? What causes eclipses and why? How often do eclipses happen and when is the next eclipse of the Moon? You'll learn the answers to these questions and more in MrEclipse's primer on lunar eclipses. The Moon is a cold, rocky body about 2,160 miles (3,476 km) in diameter. It has no light of its own but shines by sunlight reflected from its surface. The Moon orbits Earth about once every 29 and a half days. As it circles our planet, the changing position of the Moon with respect to the Sun causes our natural satellite to cycle through a series of phases:
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New Moon > New Crescent > First Quarter > Waxing Gibbous> Full Moon > Waning Gibbous > Last Quarter > Old Crescent > New Moon (again)
The phase known as New Moon can not actually be seen because the illuminated side of the Moon is then pointed away from Earth. The rest of the phases are familiar to all of us as the Moon cycles through them month after month. Did you realize that the word month is derived from the Moon's 29.5 day period? To many of us, Full Moon is the phase of love and romance. When the Moon is Full, it rises at sunset and is visible all night long. At the end of the night, the Full Moon sets just as the Sun rises. None of the Moon's other phases have this unique characteristic. It happens because the Moon is directly opposite the Sun in the sky when the Moon is Full. Full Moon also has special significance with regard to eclipses.
Geometry of the Sun, Earth and Moon During an Eclipse of the Moon Earth's two shadows are the penumbra and the umbra. (Sizes and distances not to scale)
through some portion of Earth's shadow. That shadow is actually composed of two cone-shaped components, one nested inside the other. The outer or penumbral shadow is a zone where the Earth blocks part but not all of the Sun's rays from reaching the Moon. In contrast, the inner or umbral shadow is a region where the Earth blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the Moon. Astronomers recognize three basic types of lunar eclipses:
The Moon passes through Earth's penumbral shadow. These events are of only academic interest because they are subtle and hard to observe. (click for photo example)
A portion of the Moon passes through Earth's umbral shadow. These events are easy to see, even with the unaided eye. (click for photo example)
The entire Moon passes through Earth's umbral shadow. These events are quite striking due to the Moon's vibrant red color during the total phase (totality). (click for photo example)
Now you might be wondering "If the Moon orbits Earth every 29.5 days and lunar eclipses only occur at Full Moon, then why don't we have an eclipse once a month during Full Moon?". I'm glad you asked! You see, the Moon's orbit around Earth is actually tipped about 5 degrees to Earth's orbit around the Sun. This means that the Moon spends most of the time either above or below the plane of Earth's orbit. And the plane of Earth's orbit around the Sun is important because Earth's shadows lie exactly in the same plane. During Full Moon, our natural satellite usually passes above or below Earth's shadows and misses them entirely. No eclipse takes place. But two to four times each year, the Moon passes through some portion of the Earth's penumbral or umbral shadows and one of the above three types of eclipses occurs. When an eclipse of the Moon takes place, everyone on the night side of Earth can see it. About 35% of all eclipses are of the penumbral type which are very difficult to detect, even with a telescope. Another 30% are partial eclipses which are easy to see with the unaided eye. The final 35% or so are total eclipses, and these are quite extrordinary events to behold. What is the difference between a lunar eclipse and a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse is an eclipse of the Sun. It happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. This is only possible when the Moon is in the New Moon phase. For more information, see Solar Eclipses for Beginners.
Total Lunar Eclipse of 2004 Oct 27-28 Beginning (right), middle (center) and end (left) of totality (click to see photo gallery)
Total Lunar Eclipse of 2000 Jan 20-21 Beginning (right), middle (center) and end (left) of totality (click to see more photos)
the number of lunar eclipses in a single year can range from 0 to 3. The last time that 3 total lunar eclipses occurred in one calendar year was in 1982. Partial eclipses slightly outnumber total eclipses by 7 to 6. The table below lists every lunar eclipse from 2008 through 2015. Click on the eclipse Date to see a diagram of the eclipse and a world map showing where it is visible from. Although penumbral lunar eclipses are included in this list, they are usually hard to see because they are faint. The Umbral Magnitude is the fraction on the Moon's diameter immersed in the umbra at maximum eclipse. For values greater than 1.0, it is a total eclipse. For negative values, it is a penumbral eclipse. The Eclipse Duration column lists the length of the partial eclipse in hours and minutes. If it is a total eclipse, two values are given. The first is the amount of time between the start and end of the partial phases while the second (in bold) is the length of the total eclipse.
Asia, Aus., Pacific, Americas Asia, Aus., Pacific, Americas e Pacific, Americas, Europe, Africa, w Asia
Geographic abreviations (used above): n = north, s = south, e = east, w = west, c = central For an extended version of this table, see: Lunar Eclipse Preview: 2001-2020. The last total lunar eclipse visible from the U.S.A. occured on Aug. 28, 2007. The next total lunar eclipse occurs on Feb. 21, 2008. Upcoming lunar eclipses visible from the U.S.A. include Feb. 21, 2008 (total), Jun. 26, 2010 (partial), Dec. 21, 2010 (total), Jun. 04, 2012 (partial), Apr. 15, 2014 (total) and Oct. 08, 2014 (total).
Total Lunar Eclipse Over Maui A Nikon 8008 was used in multiple exposure mode to capture the entire eclipse on one frame of film. A second exposure captures morning twilight. Total Lunar Eclipse of 2000 July 16 (Lahaina, Maui) (click to see larger image)
Eclipse Resources
http://www.mreclipse.com/Special/LEprimer.html (7 of 9)17/12/2008 12:19:54
Eclipses During 2007 Observer's Handbook 2007 Eclipses During 2008 Observer's Handbook 2008 Lunar Eclipse Preview: 2001-2020 Five Millennium Catalog of Lunar Eclipses: 2000 BCE to AD 3000 CE Lunar Eclipses of Historical Interest Crater Timings and Lunar Eclipses Danjon Brightness of Lunar Eclipses
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How To Photograph Lunar Eclipses Exposure Table for Lunar Eclipse Photography Lunar Eclipse Photo Gallery Lunar Eclipse Photo Gallery Total Lunar Eclipse of 1982 Total Lunar Eclipse of 2000 Total Lunar Eclipse of 2000 Total Lunar Eclipse of 2004 1 2 Jul 06 Jan 20-21 Jul 16 Oct 27-28
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Other Links
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Solar Eclipses For Beginners Lunar Eclipses For Beginners Index to Eclipse and Astronomy Photographs
Copyright Notice
All photographs, text and web pages are Copyright 2007 by Fred Espenak, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. They may not be reproduced, published, copied or transmitted in any form, including electronically on the Internet or WWW, without written permission of the author. The photos have been digitally watermarked. The photographs may be licensed for commercial, editorial, and educational use. Contact Espenak (at MrEclipse) for photo use in print, web, video, CD and all other media.