Solar eclipse of December 4, 2002

Solar eclipse of December 4, 2002

The diamond ring effect at end of totality, taken from near Woomera, South Australia
Map
Type of eclipse
Nature Total
Gamma -0.302
Magnitude 1.0244
Maximum eclipse
Duration 124 sec (2 m 4 s)
Coordinates 39°30′S 59°36′E / 39.5°S 59.6°E
Max. width of band 87 km (54 mi)
Times (UTC)
Greatest eclipse 7:32:16
References
Saros 142 (22 of 72)
Catalog # (SE5000) 9514

A total solar eclipse took place on December 4, 2002 with a magnitude of 1.0244. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. It was visible from a narrow corridor in southern Africa, the Indian Ocean and southern Australia. A partial eclipse was seen from the much broader path of the Moon's penumbra, including most of Africa and Australia. During the sunset after the eclipse many observers in Australia saw numerous and unusual forms of a green flash.[1]

In some parts of Angola it was the second total eclipse of the Sun within 18 months, following the Solar eclipse of June 21, 2001.

Images

Related eclipses

Solar eclipses 2000-2003

Each member in a semester series of solar eclipses repeats approximately every 177 days and 4 hours (a semester) at alternating nodes of the Moon's orbit.

Note: Partial solar eclipses on February 5, 2000 and July 31, 2000 occur in the previous lunar year set.

Solar eclipse series sets from 2000–2003
Ascending node   Descending node
SarosMap SarosMap
117July 1, 2000

Partial (south)		 122December 25, 2000

Partial (north)
127

Totality from Zambia		June 21, 2001

Total		 132

Partial from Minneapolis, MN		December 14, 2001

Annular
137

Partial Los Angeles, CA		June 10, 2002

Annular		 142December 4, 2002

Total
147

Partial from Belfort		May 31, 2003

Annular		 152November 23, 2003

Total

Saros 142

It is a part of Saros cycle 142, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, containing 72 events. The series started with partial solar eclipse on April 17, 1624. It contains one hybrid eclipse on July 14, 1768, and total eclipses from July 25, 1786 through October 29, 2543. The series ends at member 72 as a partial eclipse on June 5, 2904. The longest duration of totality will be 6 minutes, 34 seconds on May 28, 2291.[2]

Series members 17-27 occur between 1901 and 2100:

17 18 19

October 10, 1912
October 21, 1930
November 1, 1948
20 21 22

November 12, 1966
November 22, 1984
December 4, 2002
23 24 25

December 14, 2020
December 26, 2038
January 5, 2057
26 27

January 16, 2075
January 27, 2093

Metonic series

The metonic series repeats eclipses every 19 years (6939.69 days), lasting about 5 cycles. Eclipses occur in nearly the same calendar date. In addition the octon subseries repeats 1/5 of that or every 3.8 years (1387.94 days).

This series has 21 eclipse events between July 11, 1953 and July 11, 2029.

July 10-11 April 29-30 February 15-16 December 4 September 21-23
116 118 120 122 124

July 11, 1953
April 30, 1957
February 15, 1961
December 4, 1964
September 22, 1968
126 128 130 132 134

July 10, 1972
April 29, 1976
February 16, 1980
December 4, 1983
September 23, 1987
136 138 140 142 144

July 11, 1991
April 29, 1995
February 16, 1999
December 4, 2002
September 22, 2006
146 148 150 152 154

July 11, 2010
April 29, 2014
February 15, 2018
December 4, 2021
September 21, 2025
156

July 11, 2029

Notes

  1. ↑ Maunder, Michael (2007). Lights in the Sky: Identifying and Understanding Astronomical and Meteorological Phenomena. Springer. p. 116. ISBN 1846287618. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  2. ↑ http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsaros/SEsaros142.html

References

Photos:

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