August 2007 lunar eclipse

Total Lunar Eclipse
August 28, 2007

Lunar eclipse at 9:48 UTC, beginning of totality, rising after sunset from Wollongong, Australia

The moon's path through the Earth's southern shadow.
Series (and member) 128 (40 of 71)
Date August 28, 2007
Duration (hr:mn:sc)
Totality 1:30:46
Partial 3:32:54
Penumbral 5:30:18
Contacts
P1 7:52:11 UTC
U1 8:50:57 UTC
U2 9:52:00 UTC
Greatest 10:37:22 UTC
U3 11:22:45 UTC
U4 12:23:50 UTC
P4 13:22:29 UTC

Eclipse across ascending node in Aquarius

A total lunar eclipse occurred on August 28, 2007, lasting just over 90 minutes. The Moon entered the Earth's penumbra at 07:53:39 UTC. The first partial phase began in earnest at 08:51:16 UTC when the Moon entered the Earth's umbra. It exited the penumbra at 13:21:02 UTC.

It is a relatively rare central eclipse where the moon passes in front of the center of the Earth's shadow. It was the "longest and deepest lunar eclipse to be seen in 7 years".[1] [2] In the total lunar eclipse of July 16, 2000 the moon passed within two arc minutes of the center of the Earth's shadow. In comparison this still very deep eclipse was offcenter by over 12 minutes of arc.[3] The next total lunar eclipse of a longer duration will be on June 15, 2011.

The lunar eclipse was the second one in 2007. The first one occurred on March 3, 2007.

Contents

Viewing

Viewing from Oceania is favoured for the eclipse, because at the moment of greatest eclipse (10:37:22 UTC), the Moon was at the zenith of French Polynesia. The Pacific regions of Canada and the continental United States (including all of Alaska) witnessed the whole event, along with most of eastern Australia, New Zealand and all the Pacific Island regions (except New Guinea), and the tip of the Chukchi Peninsula that includes the town of Uelen, Russia. The majority of the Americas observed an abbreviated eclipse, with moonset occurring at some time during the eclipse. Siberia, far eastern Russia, eastern South Asia, China, the rest of eastern and southeastern Asia, New Guinea, and the rest of Australia missed out on the beginning of the eclipse, because the eclipse occurred at or close to moonrise in those regions.[4]

Luzon (except Visayas and Mindanao) in the Philippines, particularly Metro Manila, missed the rare eclipse entirely, due to clouds in the area due to the rainy season, which saddened many eclipse watchers in the area, but the eclipse was sighted by other amateur astronomers in other parts of the country as the lunar eclipse seen in clear skies. The eclipse was also missed in New Guinea, especially Port Moresby because of clouds. Greenland, Europe (including western Russia), Africa, western Asia, western Central Asia, and western South Asia missed the eclipse completely.


This simulated view of the earth from the center of the moon during the lunar eclipse shows where the eclipse is visible on earth.

Map

Relation to other lunar eclipses

This eclipse at the moon's ascending node was the second of two lunar eclipses to occur in 2007. The first at the descending node was on March 3, 2007.

Lunar year series

Lunar eclipse series sets from 2006–2009
Descending node   Ascending node
Saros #
and photo
Date
Viewing
Type
Chart
Saros #
and photo
Date
Viewing
Type
Chart
113
2006 Mar 14
penumbral
118
2006 Sep 7
partial
123
2007 Mar 03
total
128
2007 Aug 28
total
133
2008 Feb 21
total
138
2008 Aug 16
partial
143
2009 Feb 9
penumbral
148
2009 Aug 06
penumbral
Last set 2005 Apr 24 Last set 2005 Oct 17
Next set 2009 Dec 31 Next set 2009 Jul 07

Metonic cycle (19 years)

The Metonic cycle repeats nearly exactly every 19 years and represents a Saros cycle plus one lunar year. Because it occurs on the same calendar date, the earth's shadow will be in nearly the same location relative to the background stars.

  1. 1988 Mar 03 – Partial (113)
  2. 2007 Mar 03 – Total (123)
  3. 2026 Mar 03 – Total (133)
  4. 2045 Mar 03 – Penumbral (143)
  1. 1988 Aug 27 – partial (118)
  2. 2007 Aug 28 – total (128)
  3. 2026 Aug 28 – partial (138)
  4. 2045 Aug 27 – penumbral (148)

Saros series

Lunar saros series 128, repeating every 18 years and 11 days, has a total of 71 lunar eclipse events including 11 total lunar eclipses.

Greatest First

The greatest eclipse of the series occurred on 1953 Jul 26, lasting 108 minutes.[5]
Penumbral Partial Total Central
1304 Jun 18 1430 Sep 2 1845 May 21 1899 Jun 23
Last
Central Total Partial Penumbral
2007 Aug 28 2097 May 21 2440 May 17 2566 Aug 2
1901–2100
1917 Jul 4 1935 Jul 16 1953 Jul 26
1971 Aug 6 1989 Aug 17 2007 Aug 28
2025 Sep 7 2043 Sep 19 2061 Sep 29
2079 Oct 10 2097 Oct 21

Photo gallery

Collages

From the Oregon coast

From Swifts Creek, Australia
3 minute intervals

Start until total eclipse
From Bakersfield, California

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Longest lunar eclipse in 7 years expected". United Press International. 21 August 2007. http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Science/2007/08/21/longest_lunar_eclipse_in_7_years_expected/4650/. Retrieved 2007-08-29. 
  2. ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse Draws Attention Back to the Moon". NASA: Special Events. 21 August 2007. http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/watchtheskies/eclipse.html. Retrieved 2007-08-29. 
  3. ^ Visibility Map for Total Lunar Eclipse of 16 July 2000
  4. ^ Visibility Map for Total Lunar Eclipse of 28 August 2007
  5. ^ Listing of Eclipses of cycle 128

External links