Mark Next Saturday Night in your calendar not just for HOLI but also for something more as First Lunar Eclipse of the year is on Night of 3-4 March 2007.
This will be First Total Lunar Eclipse after almost 2.5 years. So it one of the long awaited one and it will be visible in
Following are the Eclipse Timings for
Penumbral Eclipse Begins: ------ 01:48:11
Partial Eclipse Begins: ------ 03:00:22
Total Eclipse Begins: ------ 04:14:13
Greatest Eclipse: ------ 04:50:56
Total Eclipse Ends: ------ 05:27:37
Partial Eclipse Ends: ------ 06:41:28
Penumbral Eclipse Ends: ------ 07:53:44
On March 4 Morning
Moon will set at 7:03 AM
And Sun Rises at 6:56 AM
The eclipse occurs at the descending node, 3.2 days before apogee and 1.9 days after the Moon occults Saturn (northern and eastern Europe). During the eclipse, the Moon is in southern Leo, about 13º east of the 1.3-magnitude star Regulus (alpha Leo). The Moon's orbital trajectory takes it through the northern half of Earth's umbral shadow. Although the eclipse is not central, the total phase still lasts 73 minutes.
The Moon's path through Earth's shadows as well as a map illustrating worldwide visibility of the event are shown in following figure
At the instant of greatest eclipse (23:21 UT) the umbral magnitude peaks at 1.2331 as the Moon's southern limb passes 2.4 arc-minutes north of the shadow's central axis. In contrast, the Moon's northern limb will lie 6.9 arc-minutes from the northern edge of the umbra and 32.2 arc-minutes from the shadow centre. Thus the northern sections of the Moon will appear much brighter than the southern part, which lies deeper in the shadow. Since the Moon samples a large range of umbral depths during totality, its appearance will change dramatically with time. It is not possible to predict the exact brightness distribution in the umbra, so observers are encouraged to estimate the Danjon value at different times during totality (see Danjon Scale of Lunar Eclipse Brightness ). Note that it may also be necessary to assign different Danjon values to different portions of the Moon (i.e. north vs. south).
For Mumbai Location there is something more to see – Occultation of 5:81 Mag 56 Leo Star by Moon. While coming out Moon will occult Start “56 Leo” with its shadowed portion at 5:59 AM and Start will reappear at 6:24 AM also from dark shadowed side of Moon.
Something Interesting Humm………..
Danjon Scale of Lunar Eclipse Brightness- From NASA Eclipse Page
The Moon's appearance during a total lunar eclipse can vary enormously from one eclipse to the next. Obviously, the geometry of the Moon's path through the umbra plays an important role. Not as apparent is the effect that Earth's atmosphere has on total eclipses. Although the physical mass of Earth blocks all direct sunlight from the umbra, the planet's atmosphere refracts some of the Sun's rays into the shadow. Earth's atmosphere contains varying amounts of water (clouds, mist, precipitation) and solid particles (meteoric dust, organic debris, volcanic ash). This material significantly filters and attenuates the sunlight before it is refracted into the umbra. For instance, large or frequent volcanic eruptions dumping huge quantities of ash into the atmosphere are often followed by very dark, red eclipses for several years. Extensive cloud cover along Earth's limb also tends to darken the eclipse by blocking sunlight.
The French astronomer André-Louis Danjon proposed a useful five-point scale for evaluating the visual appearance and brightness of the Moon during total lunar eclipses. L values for various luminosities are defined as follows:
L=0 Very dark eclipse. (Moon almost invisible, especially at mid-totality)
L=1 Dark eclipse, grey or brownish in coloration. (details distinguishable only with difficulty)
L=2 Deep red or rust-coloured eclipse. (very dark central shadow, while outer umbra is relatively bright)
L=3 Brick-red eclipse. (umbral shadow usually has a bright or yellow rim)
L=4 Very bright copper-red or orange eclipse. (umbral shadow has a bluish, very bright rim)
The assignment of an L value to lunar eclipses is best done with the naked eye, binoculars, or a small telescope near the time of mid-totality. It's also useful to examine the Moon's appearance just after the beginning and just before the end of totality. The Moon is then near the edge of the shadow, providing an opportunity to assign an L value to the outer umbra. In making any evaluations, the instrumentation used and the time should both be recorded. Also note any variations in colour and brightness in different parts of the umbra, as well as the apparent sharpness of the shadow's edge. Pay attention to the visibility of lunar features within the umbra. Notes and sketches made during the eclipse are often invaluable in recalling important details, events, and impressions.
