May 31, 2003, Annular
Eclipse
- An Annular Eclipse of the Sun will occur on Saturday, May 31,
2003, as the New Moon passes in front of the sun.
- An annular eclipse is a ring eclipse, which occurs when the disk
of the moon, passing in front of the sun, is smaller than the disk of
the sun. The result is a ring of sunlight with the dark shadow of the
moon in the center. This situation occurs when the moon is at a far
point in its orbit, causing the relative size of the moon to seem
smaller than that of the sun.
- Greatest Eclipse occurs at 04:08:17.6 UT, with totality lasting
from 03:44 UT to 04:31 UT. about 47 minutes.
- This annular eclipse is unusual in the sense that the eclipse
shadow is passing right along the terminator between the sunlit and
dark side of the earth. Thus, the eclipse will seem to be moving right
along the horizon at sunrise in the areas of observability, with the
path of annularity running from east to west instead of vice versa..
- This eclipse can be seen most conveniently from Reykjavik,
Iceland, as well as parts of Greenland. The most northern part of
Scotland can also see totality for a short duration as the eclipse
begins. Northern Europe,
as well as most of Russia, will be able to see partial phases during
sunrise.
- The greatest challenge for observers of this eclipse will be cloud
cover. In the areas in which the full eclipse is visible, the
likelihood of clear skies is less than 20 per cent. This, combined
with the relative inaccessibility of possible observing locations due
to cold and ice
means that only the most hardy observers will likely view this event.
|
May 31, 2003 Annular Eclipse
Data |
| Partial Eclipse Begins - P1: |
01:46:16.1 UT |
| Annular Eclipse Begins - U1: |
03:44:45.7 UT |
| Greatest Eclipse: |
04:08:17.6 UT |
| Annular Eclipse Ends - U4: |
04:31:28.6 UT |
| Partial Eclipse Ends - P4: |
06:30:03.5 UT |
|
Annular Eclipse
May 31, 2003
Click
HERE to see AAAA photos from the Lunar Eclipse of January 20, 2000 |
