March 3-4, 2007 Lunar Eclipse
- Thread starter VirginiaHuguenot
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tcalbrecht
Puritan Board Junior
Cool. Any idea what the U1-U4, P1, and P4 mean?
They refer to the type of eclipse relative the moon passing throught the earth's shadow. P=penumbral and U=umbral. If the moon passes entirely through the umbral shadow, that would produce a total lunar eclipse. A partial eclipse is when the moon passes partially through the umbral shadow.
The number indicates the moon entering and exiting the various phases of contact with the shadow.
P1 = Penumbral eclipse begins
U1 = Partial eclipse begins
U2 = Total eclipse begins
U3 = Total eclipse ends
U4 = Partial eclipse ends
P4 = Penumbral eclipse ends
The way to read this chart is that the moon will be coming up over the east coast of the United States when the total eclipse is in full bloom (rises between U2 and U3). The eclipse is not visible on the west coast at all (rises after U4).
blhowes
Puritan Board Professor
Tom,
Thanks for the explanation. Admittedly, I'm kind of dense (alright I'm a moron) when it comes to this stuff, so I'm not sure if I grasped all of the explanation. I think I'll just go out that night, look around until I find where the moon is, then proceed with my ooos and/or ahhhs.
Bob
tcalbrecht
Puritan Board Junior
Tom,
Thanks for the explanation. Admittedly, I'm kind of dense (alright I'm a moron) when it comes to this stuff, so I'm not sure if I grasped all of the explanation. I think I'll just go out that night, look around until I find where the moon is, then proceed with my ooos and/or ahhhs.
Bob
Bob,
The moon rises in Framingham at 5:31 PM EST on March 3rd. That's 22:31:00 UT.
At 22:31 UT the moon is approaching U2 phase, which actually occurs at 22:44. So it will be partially illuminated for about 13 minutes, and then move completely into the umbral shadow.
So, if you find the right location to see the moon rise you should get a good view of the event. The moon will be in totality for over an hour.
Clear Skies!!
blhowes
Puritan Board Professor
Light dawns on marble head! I get it now. Thanks.
tcalbrecht
Puritan Board Junior
So...what'll I be seeing in Texarkana, Texas?
Your moon rise is at 6:12 CST, which is 23:12 UT. That puts you about midway between U2 and U3. So, when the moon rises in Texarkana it is in full totality. (You may need to look hard to find it.) It starts emerging about 40 minutes after moon rise.
Well, I hope there are superstitious people in China beating gongs when this occurs so the eclipse will go away.
tcalbrecht
Puritan Board Junior
A lunar eclipse is when the earth passes between sun and moon, and the moon is in the shadow of the earth. I happens at the time of a full moon.
A solar eclipse is when the moon passes between the earth and sun, blocking the light from the sun. It can only happen at the time of a new moon.
The sun can never pass between earth and moon. We would get fried.
Davidius
Inactive User
A lunar eclipse is when the earth passes between sun and moon, and the moon is in the shadow of the earth. I happens at the time of a full moon.
A solar eclipse is when the moon passes between the earth and sun, blocking the light from the sun. It can only happen at the time of a new moon.
The sun can never pass between earth and moon. We would get fried.
Haha thanks Tom. Let me state, for my own well-being, that I was being sarcastic and realize that it is the sun around which everything else orbits and that the sun therefore definitely doesn't pass between the earth and the moon.
I goes to college, after all.
VirginiaHuguenot
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