Luna Eclipse 09 January 2001

Luna Eclipse

Pete's Pages

Luna Eclipse

Images from the 09/01/2001 total eclipse.

The next Luna eclipse visible from England on May 16th 2003. (This eclispse is only partially visible & is a Umbral Eclipse ) All times are correct for my location ( 52° 26’ N 0° 6’ W)
Penumbra/01:05:18 Umbral/02:02:44 Totality/NA Max eclipse/03:40:03 Totality.Ends/NA Umbral.Ends/05:17:22 Penumdra.Ends/06:14:49	Umbra magnitude-1.134 Penumbra magnitude-2.1 Duration of Umbral-3h 14m 38s Duration of penumbral-5h 9m 31s
Future Luna eclipses visible from England: 08th November 2003 04th May 2004 (Partially visible) 28th October 2004 14th March 2006 (Penumbral)

The earth, lit by the sun, casts a long conical shadow in space. At any point within that cone, the Earth blocks the light of the sun out. Surrounding the shadow cone, also called the umbra, is an area of partial shadow called the penumbral. The approximate mean length of the umbra is 1,379,200 km (857,000 mi) and it has a diameter of about 9170 km (about 5700 mi) at a distance of 384,600 km (239,000 mi), which is the mean distance of the moon from the earth.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes completely into the umbra. If it moves directly through the center, it is obscured for about 2 hours. If it does not pass through the center, the period of totality is less and may last for only an instant if the moon travels through the very edge of the umbra. Eclipses can only occur at the time of a full Moon, that is when the Moon is directly opposite the Sun. When a Luna eclipse occurs, it can be seen from anywhere on the Earth as long as the Moon is above the local horizon.

A partial lunar eclipse occurs when only a part of the moon enters the umbra and is obscured. The extent of a partial eclipse can range from near totality, when most of the moon is obscured, to a slight or minor eclipse, when only a small portion of the earth's shadow is seen on the passing moon. Historically, the view of the earth's circular shadow advancing across the face of the moon was the first indication of the shape of the earth. Before the moon enters the umbra in either a total or partial eclipse, it is within the penumbral and the surface becomes visibly darker (but you have to look very carefully to see it). The portion that enters the umbra seems almost black, but during a total eclipse, the lunar disk is not completely dark; it is faintly illuminated with a red light refracted by the earth's atmosphere, which filters out the blue rays.

Occasionally a lunar eclipse occurs when the earth is covered with a heavy layer of clouds or volcanic dust that prevents light refraction, when this happens the surface of the moon is invisible during totality.

Lunar eclipses generally occur twice a year.

In some years, however, there may be none or as many as three.

What is a Blue Moon?

Modern Definition:
A Blue Moon is commonly the name given to the second full moon in a month. Since a full moon occurs every 29 1/2 days, if there is a full moon on the 1st or 2nd day of a month, there is a good chance there will be a second full or blue moon that month.
In 1999, there were two blue moons very close together, One on January 31st after the full moon on Jan. 2nd and the other on March 31st after the full moon on March 2nd.
There will not be another until November 2001, and then we'll have to wait until July 2004 and we won't see two blue moons in one year again until 2018.

Older Definition:
More traditionally, a blue moon was referred to as the 4th full moon in a season. That is, each of the 4 seasons of the year has 3 months, and will usually have 3 full moons. Each of these 12 moons has a name like Harvest Moon or Hunter's Moon. But when a season occurs that contains 4 full moons, there is no name for this occasional moon and it was given the name, Blue Moon.

You can choose either definition, or both.

Oh yes, Sorry but the moon is not really blue.