Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand Astronomical Events in 2007

Whenever the Sun is to be observed safe viewing methods must be used. Any attempt to view the Sun directly could result in instant blindness.

The safest way is to project the image of the Sun onto a suitable screen. Alternatively a suitable, specially designed, Solar filter may be placed in front of the telescope.

It is NOT safe to use a filter at the eyepiece as the focussed heat from the Sun could shatter it.  If unsure of safe methods consult your local astronomical society about suitable ways of observing Solar events.

There are four eclipses during 2007, two each of the Sun and Moon. Both Solar eclipses are partial, neither being visible from New Zealand. In both cases the central line of the eclipse just misses the Earth. The two eclipses of the Moon are both total, the second on August 28 is potentially the best since the year 2000.

The first total lunar eclipse, on March 3, will be best observed in its entirety from Africa and Europe. No part is visible from New Zealand.

The total lunar eclipse of August 28 is fully visible from New Zealand and is the first to be visible from start to end in NZ since the eclipse of 2000 July 16. New Zealanders should make the most of this one, it is another 7 years, on 2014 October 14, before another total eclipse of the Moon is fully visible for them.

Between 2007 and 2014, two total eclipses are partly visible from New Zealand. At the eclipse of 2010 December 21/22, the Moon will rise close to the time of mid totality, so the second half of the eclipse will be visible, but the Moon will be very low. A year later, 2011 December 10/11, the eclipsed Moon will leave the penumbra close to the time of Moon set, so only the final penumbral portion of the eclipse will be lost and the Moon will be a little higher in mid eclipse than in 2010.

Total eclipse of the Moon March 3/4. No part visible from New Zealand.
Partial eclipse of the Sun March 19. No part visible from New Zealand.
Total eclipse of the Moon August 28. Fully visible from New Zealand.
Partial eclipse of the Sun September 11/12. No part visible from New Zealand.

Total eclipse of the Moon 2007 March 3/4

This is the first of two total eclipses of the Moon during 2007. In March the entire eclipse is visible from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, the western parts of Asia and almost all of Greenland. At least part of the eclipse is visible from almost all continental areas, except eastern parts of Australia, extreme east Asia, Alaska and extreme northwest Canada.

No part of the eclipse is visible from much of the Pacific basin including New Zealand

Partial Eclipse of the Sun, 2007 March 19

The first point on Earth to see anything of the eclipse is off the coast of India to the north of Sri Lanka. Here the eclipse will start as the Sun rises at 0:38:26 UT (12:38:26 pm NZST), and at maximum about 25% of the Sun will be obscured.

The deepest eclipse of the Sun, when 87.5% of the its diameter will be hidden by the Moon, will be seen at places a little to the west of the central Ural Mountains and north of Perm in Russia. This will occur as the Sun rises there just after 2:30 UT, nearly 2 hours after the start of the eclipse.

The eclipse will end at 4:25:00 UT (4:25:00 NZST) to the north of Alaska. Here the eclipse will start just as the Sun sets.

No part of the eclipse is visible New Zealand.

Diagram showing the parts of the Earth from which the eclipse is visible.

Total eclipse of the Moon, 2007 August 28/29

This is the first total eclipse for New Zealand since the year 2000. In addition it is also the most central one to occur since 2000: that is the Moon will pass closer to the centre of the Earth's shadow than in any eclipse since 2000. This is likely to result in the Moon being relatively dark during the eclipse. Being a winter event, the Moon will be south of the celestial equator, so quite high in New Zealand skies.

The global area of visibility of this eclipse is almost the exact opposite to that of the one in March. The part of the Earth from which the entire eclipse is visible is nearly the same as the part which sees none in March. The parts of the Earth from which the entire March eclipse is visible will see nothing of the August eclipse. Regions which see some stages of the March eclipse will see the opposite stages in August.

The view from New Zealand

Just before 9 pm the Moon will start moving into the Earth's umbral (full) shadow. The first contact with the dark shadow will be on the northeast edge of the Moon, but at this stage for NZ viewers the Moon will be well round towards the east and rotated so that the shadow appears at the bottom of the Moon. Over the next hour the shadow will move up the Moon which will become a very dull and possibly coppery colour. As the Moon loses brightness so more and more stars will appear.

Totality will last for about 90 minutes, from 9:52 pm to 11:22 pm. The northern part of the Moon, the lower part as seen from New Zealand, will pass through the centre of the Earth's shadow and is likely to be darker than the upper, southerly, parts which will be nearer edge of the shadow. The Moon will still be visible due to refraction of light through the Earth's atmosphere onto the Moon. Because the atmosphere absorbs more of the blue light, the Moon is likely to appear reddish, just as the sky to the west appears orange near sunset.

By the end of totality the Moon will have moved quite a way round to the north, so that its north pole is now almost at the bottom as seen from New Zealand. Just after 11:20 the first part of the Moon will re-enter the Earth's penumbra. This will appear on the right hand side of the Moon a little below centre. Over the next hour the brightness will spread across the Moon, with the last of the dark umbral shadow disappearing on the left hand side, just above centre. This will occur just after 12:20 am in New Zealand when the Moon will be almost due north and at its highest.

It will be another hour before the Moon is completely out of the penumbra and restored to its full brilliance when fully lit.

Partial eclipse of the Sun, 2007 September 11

The second solar eclipse of 2007, on September 11/12 occurs in the southern hemisphere. The partial eclipse is visible from most of South America south of about latitude 10°s south of the equator. It is also visible from the southwest Atlantic and parts of Antarctic.

The first place to see this eclipse is in Bolivia, where it will start as the Sun rises at 10:25:46. Maximum eclipse occurs at 12:31:21 UT again at sunrise in a position to the southwest of the southern tip of South America. Some 75% of the diameter of the Sun will then be hidden by the Moon.

The final place to see the eclipse lies in Antarctica to the south of South Africa. Here the sun will set as the eclipse begins 14:36:33 UT.
No part of the eclipse is visible from New Zealand.

In this case the path of an annular eclipse misses the Earth passing beyond the South Pole.

Diagram showing the parts of the Earth from which the eclipse is visible.

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