November 2003 lunar eclipse


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 1.2 days before apogee, the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
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.

Eclipse details

Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
ParameterValue
Penumbral Magnitude2.11575
Umbral Magnitude1.01969
Gamma−0.43193
Sun Right Ascension14h54m59.9s
Sun Declination-16°41'23.6"
Sun Semi-Diameter16'08.7"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.9"
Moon Right Ascension02h55m37.1s
Moon Declination+16°19'48.8"
Moon Semi-Diameter14'43.8"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax0°54'03.6"
ΔT64.5 s

Eclipse season

This eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months 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.
November 9
Ascending node
November 23
Descending node
Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 126		Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 152

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 2003

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Lunar Saros 126

Inex

Triad

Half-Saros cycle

A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days. This lunar eclipse is related to two total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 133.
November 3, 1994November 13, 2012