NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Lunar eclipse

A lunar eclipse occurs whenever the Moon passes through some portion of the Earth’s shadow. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle. Hence, the Moon is always full near a lunar eclipse. The type and length of an eclipse depend upon the Moon's location relative to its orbital nodes. The most recent total lunar eclipse was on 28 August 2007^[1] where the Sun, Earth and Moon were in total alignment. The initial stage started at 07:52 UTC, while the total eclipse began at 09:52 UTC giving it a bronze appearance, with reddish to blood red at its peak. Eastern Australia and New Zealand were in the perfect zone to view the total lunar eclipse or "blood Moon".^[2] The next total lunar eclipse will take place at on 21 February, 2008 and will be visible throughout most of the Americas as well as western Europe.^[3] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The moon in the latter stages of totality on March 3, 2007, 23:29 UTC A total lunar eclipse took place on March 3, 2007, the first of two eclipses to occur in 2007. ... Sol redirects here. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... This article is about Earths moon. ... For other uses, see Full Moon. ... The lunar nodes are the orbital nodes of the Moon, that is, the points where the orbit of the Moon crosses the ecliptic (which is the apparent path of the Sun across the heavens against the background stars). ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... is the 240th day of the year (241st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Description

A lunar eclipse occurs at least two times a year, whenever some portion of the Earth's shadow falls upon the Moon. The Moon will always be full moon during a lunar eclipse; that is, from the perspective of the Sun, the Moon will be directly behind the Earth. However, since the orbital plane of the Moon is inclined by about 5° with respect to the orbital plane of the Earth (the ecliptic), most full moons occur when the Moon is either north or south of Earth's shadow. Thus in order to be eclipsed, the Moon must be near one of the two intersection points its orbit makes with the ecliptic, which are referred to as the Moon's ascending and descending nodes. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Umbra. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The orbit of the Moon around the Earth is completed in approximately 27. ... The plane of the ecliptic is well seen in this picture from the 1994 lunar prospecting Clementine spacecraft. ... The lunar nodes are the orbital nodes of the Moon, that is, the points where the orbit of the Moon crosses the ecliptic (which is the apparent path of the Sun across the heavens against the background stars). ...

The shadow of the Earth can be divided into two distinctive parts: the umbra and penumbra. Within the umbra, there is no direct solar radiation. However, as a result of the Sun's large angular size, solar illumination is only partially blocked in the outer portion of the Earth's shadow, which is given the name penumbra. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Umbra. ...

A penumbral eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's penumbra. The penumbra does not cause any noticeable darkening of the Moon's surface, though some may argue it turns a little yellow. A special type of penumbral eclipse is a total penumbral eclipse, during which the Moon lies exclusively within the Earth's penumbra. Total penumbral eclipses are rare, and when these occur, that portion of the Moon which is closest to the umbra can appear somewhat darker than the rest of the Moon. Image File history File links Lunareclipsediagram3. ... Image File history File links Lunareclipsediagram3. ...

A partial lunar eclipse occurs when only a portion of the Moon enters the umbra. When the Moon travels completely into the Earth's umbra, one observes a total lunar eclipse. The Moon's speed through the shadow is about one kilometer per second (2,300 mph), and totality may last up to nearly 107 minutes. Nevertheless, the total time between the Moon's first and last contact with the shadow is much longer, and could last up to more than 6 hours.^{[citation needed]} The longest calculated lunar eclipse occurring between 1000 BCE and 3000 CE took place on May 31, 318 CE, having a duration of 1h47m14s.^{[citation needed]} The relative distance of the Moon from the Earth at the time of an eclipse can affect the eclipse's duration. In particular, when the Moon is near its apogee (that is, the farthest point from the Earth in its orbit) its orbital speed is the slowest. The diameter of the umbra does not decrease much with distance. Thus, a totally-eclipsed Moon occurring near apogee will lengthen the duration of totality. Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... is the 151st day of the year (152nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Gregory the Illuminator appoints his son Aristax as successor in the Patriarchate of Armenia. ... This article is about several astronomical terms (apogee & perigee, aphelion & perihelion, generic equivalents based on apsis, and related but rarer terms. ...

A selenelion or selenehelion is a type of lunar eclipse when, due to the Moon's proximity to the ecliptic, both the Sun and the eclipsed Moon can be observed at the same time. This particular arrangement has led to the phenomenon being referred to as a horizontal eclipse. It can only be observed just prior to sunset or just after sunrise. The specific arrangement is not common, and last occurred on May 16, 2003 over Europe.^[4] is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

Appearance

The Moon does not completely disappear as it passes through the umbra because of the refraction of sunlight by the Earth's atmosphere into the shadow cone; if the Earth had no atmosphere, the Moon would be completely dark during an eclipse. The red colouring arises because sunlight reaching the Moon must pass through a long and dense layer of the Earth's atmosphere, where it is scattered. Shorter wavelengths are more likely to be scattered by the small particles, and so by the time the light has passed through the atmosphere, the longer wavelengths dominate. This resulting light we perceive as red. This is the same effect that causes sunsets and sunrises to turn the sky a reddish colour; an alternative way of considering the problem is to realise that, as viewed from the Moon, the Sun would appear to be setting (or rising) behind the Earth. Lunar eclipses in 2003 Information: Photographer: Tom Ruen Location: New Brighton, Minnesota Date/time: May 15, 2003, 10:19 pm CDT (Moon 14 degrees high) November 8, 2004, 7:11 pm CST, (Moon 24 derees high) Equipment: Digital camera, 6 Newtonian reflector, 50x. ... Lunar eclipses in 2003 Information: Photographer: Tom Ruen Location: New Brighton, Minnesota Date/time: May 15, 2003, 10:19 pm CDT (Moon 14 degrees high) November 8, 2004, 7:11 pm CST, (Moon 24 derees high) Equipment: Digital camera, 6 Newtonian reflector, 50x. ... is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the property of metals, see refraction (metallurgy). ... Prism splitting light High Resolution Solar Spectrum Sunlight in the broad sense is the total spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. ... Rayleigh scattering causing the blue hue of the sky and the reddening at sunset Rayleigh scattering (named after Lord Rayleigh) is the scattering of light, or other electromagnetic radiation, by particles much smaller than the wavelength of the light. ... For other uses, see Wavelength (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Red (disambiguation). ... A composite image showing the terminator dividing night from day, running across Europe and Africa. ... A typical sunrise, in New Zealand A sunrise through clouds over Oakland, California. ...

The amount of refracted light depends on the amount of dust or clouds in the atmosphere; this also controls how much light is scattered. In general, the dustier the atmosphere, the more that other wavelengths of light will be removed (compared to red light), leaving the resulting light a deeper red colour. This causes the resulting coppery-red hue of the Moon to vary from one eclipse to the next. Volcanoes are notable for expelling large quantities of dust into the atmosphere, and a large eruption shortly before an eclipse can have a large effect on the resulting colour. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 448 pixelsFull resolutionâ€Ž (2,373 Ã— 1,329 pixels, file size: 538 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Beschreibung = Shows the optical effects of a lunar eclipse Creater = Raycluster Date = 21. ...

The following scale (the Danjon scale) was devised by André Danjon for rating the overall darkness of lunar eclipses:^[5] The Danjon Scale of lunar eclipse brightness is a five-point scale useful for measuring the appearance and luminosity of the Moon during a lunar eclipse. ... AndrÃ©-Louis Danjon (April 6, 1890 â€“ April 21, 1967) was a French astronomer born in Caen, France. ...

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 200 pixel Image in higher resolution (2000 Ã— 500 pixel, file size: 172 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Selected intervals of the March 3 2007 lunar eclipse as seen from Leeds, England. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 200 pixel Image in higher resolution (2000 Ã— 500 pixel, file size: 172 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Selected intervals of the March 3 2007 lunar eclipse as seen from Leeds, England. ... For other uses, see Leeds (disambiguation) and Leeds City (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

Eclipse cycles

Every year there are at least two lunar eclipses. If one knows the date and time of an eclipse, it is possible to predict the occurrence of other eclipses using an eclipse cycle like the Saros cycle. Unlike a solar eclipse, which can only be viewed at a certain relatively small area of the world, a lunar eclipse may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of the Earth. A Saros cycle is a period of 6585 + 1/3 days (approximately 18 years 10 days and 8 hours) which can be used to predict eclipses of the sun and the moon. ... Time-lapse series of photos of the lunar eclipse of October 2004 as seen from Northern California. ... Time-lapse series of photos of the lunar eclipse of October 2004 as seen from Northern California. ... A Saros cycle is a period of 6585 + 1/3 days (approximately 18 years 10 days and 8 hours) which can be used to predict eclipses of the sun and the moon. ... Photo taken during the 1999 eclipse. ...

See also

This is a list of lunar eclipses from the past and the future. ... The moon in the latter stages of totality on March 3, 2007, 23:29 UTC A total lunar eclipse took place on March 3, 2007, the first of two eclipses to occur in 2007. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... This article is about astronomical eclipses. ... Photo taken during the 1999 eclipse. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The orbit of the Moon around the Earth is completed in approximately 27. ... Christopher Columbus (1451 â€“ May 20, 1506) was a navigator and colonialist who is one of the first Europeans to discover the Americas, after the Vikings. ...

Gallery

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | Eclipses | Lunar eclipses Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... This article is about Earths moon. ... For other uses, see Calendar (disambiguation) A page from the Hindu calendar 1871â€“1872. ... Look up Month in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the Moon as the subject of and inspiration for creative works. ... The Moon has figured in many mythologies, often paired or contrasted with the Sun (see also Solar deity). ... The Moon illusion is an optical illusion in which the Moon appears larger near the horizon than it does while higher up in the sky. ... The lunar effect is the supposed influence of the moon, and its various phases, on human behaviour. ... The orbit of the Moon around the Earth is completed in approximately 27. ... Lunar phase refers to the appearance of the illuminated portion of the Moon as seen by an observer, usually on Earth. ... Photo taken during the 1999 eclipse. ... This article is about tides in the Earths oceans. ... Schematic illustration of the internal structure of the Moon. ... Radial gravitational anomaly at the surface of the Moon. ... Topography of the Moon, referenced to the lunar geoid. ... Total magnetic field strength at the surface of the Moon as derived from the Lunar Prospector electron reflectometer experiment. ... The atmosphere of the Moon is very tenuous and insignificant in comparison to that of the Earth. ... Selenography is the study of the surface and physical features of the Moon, especially the mapping of the features according to the Moons latitude and longitude. ... The near side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere that is permanently turned towards the Earth, and as such the side which is always seen. ... Far side of the Moon. ... Lunar nearside with major maria and craters labeled A global albedo map of the Moon obtained from the Clementine missionThe dark regions are the lunar maria, whereas the lighter regions are the highlands. ... Tycho crater on Earths moon. ... The South Pole-Aitken basin is an impact crater on Earths Moon. ... Shackleton is a lunar crater that lies at the south pole of the Moon. ... The continuous bombardment of the Moon by comets and meteoroids have added some amount of water to the lunar surface. ... Peak of Eternal Light (PEL) describes a point on a body within the solar system which is eternally bathed in sunlight. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... This map, based on a survey of 300 TLPs by Barbara Middlehurst and Patrick Moore, shows the approximate distribution of observed events. ... Exploring Shorty crater during the Apollo 17 mission to the Moon. ... The lunar geologic timescale (or perhaps more properly the selenologic timescale) divides the history of Earths Moon into six generally recognized geologic periods: Copernician Period : 1100 MY to present Eratosthenian Period : 3200 MY to 1100 MY Upper Imbrian Epoch : 3800 MY to 3200 MY Lower Imbrian Epoch : 3850 MY... The Big Splash redirects here. ... Lunar Ferroan Anorthosite #60025 (Plagioclase Feldspar). ... Lunar Meteorite Allan Hills 81005 A Lunar meteorite is a meteorite that is known to have originated on the Moon. ... KREEP stands for potassium (atomic symbol K), rare earth elements (REE), and phosphorus (P). ... The Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package, or ALSEP, was a set of connected scientific instruments left on the Moon when the Apollo program ended. ... The Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment from the Apollo 11 mission The ongoing Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment measures the distance between the Earth and the Moon using laser ranging. ... The Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB) was a period approximately 3. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Project Apollo was a series of human spaceflight missions undertaken by the United States of America (NASA) using the Apollo spacecraft and Saturn launch vehicle, conducted during the years 1961 â€“ 1975. ... Pioneer 0 (USA, 1958) - failure - orbiter Pioneer 1 (USA, 1958) - failure - orbiter Pioneer 3 (USA, 1958) - failure - flyby Luna 1 (Soviet Union, 1959) - success - flyby Pioneer 4 (USA, 1959) - partial success - flyby Luna 2 (Soviet Union, 1959) - success - impactor Luna 3 (Soviet Union, 1959) - success - flyby Ranger 3 (USA, 1962... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Exploration of the Moon. ... Lunar outpost redirects here. ... Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong in NASAs training mockup of the Moon and lander module. ... This article is about the Solar System. ... A natural satellite is an object that orbits a planet or other body larger than itself and which is not man-made. ...

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