A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Sunday, November 9, 2003, with an umbral magnitude of 1.0197. 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 about 1.4 days before apogee (November 10, 2003, at 12:05 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller than average.
This lunar eclipse is the second of a tetrad, with four total lunar eclipses in series, the others being on May 16, 2003; May 4, 2004; and October 28, 2004.
This was the last of 14 total lunar eclipses of Lunar Saros 126, which started on June 19, 1769 and ended on November 9, 2003.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over eastern North and South America, much of Africa, and Europe, seen rising over western North and South America and the Pacific Ocean and setting over east Africa and west, central, and south Asia.
Hourly motion shown right to left The moon's hourly motion across the Earth's shadow in the constellation of Aries
Gallery
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+November 9, 2003 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.11575 Umbral Magnitude 1.01969 Gamma −0.43193 Sun Right Ascension 14h54m59.9s Sun Declination -16°41'23.6" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'08.7" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 02h55m37.1s Moon Declination +16°19'48.8" Moon Semi-Diameter 14'43.8" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°54'03.6" ΔT 64.5 s
Eclipse season
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 November 2003 November 9Ascending node (full moon) November 23Descending node (new moon) Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 126 Total solar eclipseSolar Saros 152
Related eclipses Eclipses in 2003 A total lunar eclipse on May 16. An annular solar eclipse on May 31. A total lunar eclipse on November 9. A total solar eclipse on November 23.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 21, 2000 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 28, 2007
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 27, 1996 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 21, 2010
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 3, 1994 Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 13, 2012
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 9, 1992 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 8, 2014
Lunar Saros 126 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 28, 1985 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 19, 2021
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 29, 1974 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 18, 2032
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 8, 1917 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 8, 2090
Lunar eclipses of 2002–2005
Metonic series
Saros 126
Tritos series
Inex series
Half-Saros cycle A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros This lunar eclipse is related to two total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 133. November 3, 1994November 13, 2012
See also List of lunar eclipses and List of 21st-century lunar eclipses Solar eclipse of 23 November 2003 May 2003 lunar eclipse May 2004 lunar eclipse October 2004 lunar eclipse
References
External links
Saros cycle 126
NASA Saros series 126 Photos: Lunar Eclipse 8 November 2003 Spaceweather.com: Lunar eclipse gallery Nov 8, 2003