Nature Total Magnitude 1.0244 Max. width of band 87 km (54 mi) Date 4 December 2002 | Gamma -0.302 Duration 124 sec (2 m 4 s) Greatest eclipse 7:32:16 | |
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Other Instances Solar eclipse of April 8 - 2, Solar eclipse of July 2 - 20, Solar eclipse of August 2, Solar eclipse of March 9, Solar eclipse of March 20 | ||
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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).