February 2008 lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse occurred on the evening of Wednesday, February 20, and morning of Thursday, February 21, 2008. It was visible in the eastern evening sky on February 20 for all of North and South America, and on February 21 in the predawn western sky from most of Africa and Europe.

The total lunar eclipse is the first of the two lunar eclipses in 2008, with the second, the August 16, 2008 event being partial. [ [http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEplot/LEplot2001/LE2008Aug16P.gifsunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov] ] The next total lunar eclipse will occur on December 21, 2010.

Viewing

The eclipse was visible in the eastern evening sky on February 20 for all of North and South America, and on February 21 in the predawn western sky from most of Africa and Europe.

The penumbral eclipse began at 00:35 UTC (February 21), and ended at 6:17. A partial eclipse existed from 1:43 until 3:00, followed by 51 minutes of totality (3:00 - 3:51), and then partial again from 3:51 until 5:09. (For local times, see Timing.)

It is possible to mistake the appearance of partial eclipse as the moon being in a different phase, but the shadow from the eclipse changes much more rapidly. [http://www.spaceweather.com/eclipses/20feb08e/John-Doukoumopoulos2.jpg]

The bright star Regulus of Leo and the planet Saturn were prominent very near the moon during the total eclipse portion. Shortly before the eclipse began, Regulus was occulted by the moon in parts of the far Southern Atlantic ocean and Antarctica.

Relation to other lunar eclipses

This lunar eclipse is part of series 133 of the Saros cycle, which repeats every 18 years and 11 days. Series 133 runs from the year 1557 until 2819. The previous eclipse of this series occurred on February 9, 1990 and the next will occur on March 3, 2026. [cite web |title=Lunar Eclipses: 2001 to 2100 |url=http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEcat/LE2001-2100.html |accessdate=2008-02-22 |year=2008 ] [cite web |title=Lunar Eclipses: 1901 to 2000 |url=http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEcat/LE1901-2000.html |accessdate=2008-02-22 |year=2008 ] [cite web |title=Active Saros Cycles for the 20th and 21st Centuries |url=http://www2.bitstream.net/~bunlion/bpi/ActSaros.html#lunar |accessdate=2008-02-22 |year=2008 ]

It is the 6th of 21 total lunar eclipses in series 133. The first was on December 28, 1917. The last (21st) will be on August 3, 2278. The longest two occurrences of this series (14th and 15th) will last for a total of 1 hour and 42 minutes [cite web |title=Hermit Eclipse: Eclipse Search |url=http://www.hermit.org/Eclipse/gen_stats.cgi?mode=query&page=full&qtype=type&body=L&saros=133 |accessdate=2008-02-22 |year=2008 ] on May 18, 2152 and May 30, 2170.

Lunar year and Metonic cycles (354 days and 19 years)

This eclipse is the one of two short-lived parallel series:
*The lunar year series repeats after 12 lunations or 354 days (Shifting back about 10 days in sequential years). Because of the date shift, the earth's shadow will be about 11 degrees west in sequential events.
*The Metonic cycle repeats nearly exactly every 19 years and represents a Saros cycle plus one lunar year. Because it occurs on the same calendar date, the earth's shadow will in nearly the same location relative to the background stars.

North America

Canada

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada at 02:49 UTC. Lunar north is near top-left.

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada at 02:56 UTC, just prior to total. Lunar north is near top-left.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada at 03:17 UTC.

Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada at 4:11 UTC. Lunar north is near top-left.

Burlington, ON, Canada t 04:15 UTC.

Burlington, Ontario, Canada at 2:00 UTC.

USA (west)

San Pedro, California, USA at 3:26 UTC. Lunar north is near top-left.

Boulder, CO, USA at 4:17 UTC. Lunar north is near top-left. Mare Humorum appears at bottom, Tycho's rays at bottom right.

Salem, Oregon, USA. Lunar north is near top-left.

St. Louis, Missouri, USA at 3:08 UTC.

Urbana, Illinois at 3:06 UTC. Lunar north is near top-left.

USA (east)

West Hartford, Connecticut, USA at 1:42 UTC. Lunar north is left.

Washington, DC, USA at 02:57:51 UTC. Lunar north is left.

Millersville, Pennsylvania, USA at 3:15 UTC. Lunar north is near left.

West Hartford, Connecticut, USA at 3:18 UTC. Lunar north is near top-left.

North Billerica, MA

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA at 03:31 UTC. Lunar north is top-left.

Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA at 3:57 UTC.

Wellesley Hills, MA, USA at 3:52 UTC

South America

Pichilemu, Chile. Image taken at 2:23 UTC.

Pisco Elqui, Valle de Elqui, Chile at 03:20 UTC.

Santa Catarina (state), Brazil at 3:52 UTC.

Montevideo, Uruguay

Europe and Africa

Rostock, Germany at 2:16 UTC. Lunar north is near top.

Prague, Czech Republic at 3:41 UTC

Eclipse_observed_from_Sasolburg, South Africa - around 02:55 UTC. Lunar north is right.

ee also

* List of lunar eclipses and List of 21st century lunar eclipses
* March 2007 lunar eclipse
* August 2007 lunar eclipse
* Solar eclipse

Notes

External links

* [http://www.astronet.nl/maaneclips2008/leclips2008.html Astronet: Information and live webcasts of the February 20-21 total lunar eclipse from Holland, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Argentina]
* [http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEmono/TLE2008Feb21/TLE2008Feb21.html NASA: Total Lunar Eclipse: February 20, 2008]
* [http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEsaros/LEsaros133.html NASA Saros series 133]
* NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day: [http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080220.html February 20, 2008] , [http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080222.html February 22, 2008] [http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080301.html March 1, 2008]
* [http://www.hermit.org/Eclipse/2008-02-21 Hermit eclipse (Ian Cameron Smith) Total Lunar Eclipse: February 21 2008]
* [http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/12886312.html Sky&Telescope, Eclipses of 2008]
* [http://www.1nikon.com/public/lunar_eclipse_feb_20_08/index.html Example Images from Dr. Eric S. Ackerman - Fort Lauderdale, Florida]
* [http://www.astronight.com/022008/index.htm Various Animations of the Eclipse Astronight Observatory - Billerica MA]
* [http://www.spaceweather.com/eclipses/gallery_20feb08.htm SpaceWeather Lunar Eclipse Photo Gallery: February 20, 2008]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVkkCVh5t0E Philadelphia, PA: A timelapse of the total lunar eclipse on February 20th, 2008. Recorded with still images.]

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