Nature Total Magnitude 1.0379 Max. width of band 495 km (308 mi) Date 23 November 2003 | Gamma -0.9638 Duration 117 sec (1 m 57 s) Greatest eclipse 22:50:22 | |
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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 November 23, 2003 with a magnitude of 1.0379. 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 corridor in the Antarctic region. A partial eclipse was seen from the much broader path of the Moon's penumbra, including the southern tip of South America and most of Australia.
Contents
For most solar eclipses the path of totality moves eastwards. In this case the path moved south and then west round Antarctica.
Images
Animated map
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.
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).