A penumbral lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Wednesday, November 20, 2002, with an umbral magnitude of −0.2246. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when part or all of the Moon's near side passes into the Earth's penumbra. 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. Occurring about 3.8 days after apogee (on November 16, 2002, at 6:30 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible much of North and South America, Africa, and Europe, seen rising over western North America and the eastern Pacific Ocean and setting over east Africa and west, central, and south Asia.
The moon's hourly motion across the Earth's shadow in the constellation of Taurus.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+November 20, 2002 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 0.86176 Umbral Magnitude −0.22459 Gamma −1.11266 Sun Right Ascension 15h41m07.8s Sun Declination -19°36'53.3" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'11.2" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 03h42m30.3s Moon Declination +18°39'15.4" Moon Semi-Diameter 14'54.0" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°54'40.9" ΔT 64.4 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–December 2002 November 20Ascending node (full moon) December 4Descending node (new moon) Penumbral lunar eclipseLunar Saros 116 Total solar eclipseSolar Saros 142
Related eclipses Eclipses in 2002 A penumbral lunar eclipse on May 26. An annular solar eclipse on June 10. A penumbral lunar eclipse on June 24. A penumbral lunar eclipse on November 20. A total solar eclipse on December 4.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 31, 1999 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 7, 2006
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 8, 1995 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 31, 2009
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 13, 1993 Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 25, 2011
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 21, 1991 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 18, 2013
Lunar Saros 116 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 8, 1984 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 30, 2020
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 10, 1973 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 30, 2031
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 20, 1916 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 19, 2089
Lunar eclipses of 2002–2005
Metonic series First eclipse: 20 November 2002. Second eclipse: 19 November 2021. Third eclipse: 18 November 2040. Fourth eclipse: 19 November 2059. Fifth eclipse: 19 November 2078.
Saros 116
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 partial solar eclipses of Solar Saros 123. November 13, 1993November 25, 2011
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 21st-century lunar eclipses
References
External links Saros cycle 116