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Royal Astronomical Society of New ZealandAstronomical Events in 2009 |
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Royal Astronomical Society of New ZealandAstronomical Events in 2009 |
Eclipses of Sun and Moon during 2009 Eclipses for other years.
For much more detailed information on eclipses and transits go to Fred Espenak's eclipse site.
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 six eclipses during 2009, two of the Sun and four of the Moon. The last of these occurs on December 31 Universal Time, but this is 2010 January 1 in New Zealand and Australia.
The first solar eclipse of the 2009 year occurs on January 26. It is annular, with the Moon not appearing large enough to fully cover the Sun's disk, so that a ring of sunlight is left round the black silhouette of the Moon. No part of the eclipse is visible from New Zealand. A partial eclipse is visible from almost the whole of Australia.
The second solar eclipse is on July 22. This is a total eclipse with a path over northern India and central China. Again no part of the eclipse is visible from New Zealand. The only part of Australia to see anything of the eclipse is the northern tip of York Peninsula where a very slight partial eclipse will occur.
The eclipses of the Moon in 2009 are visually very poor events. The first on February 9 is a deep penumbral eclipse, which should result in one side of the Moon's disk being somewhat shaded. The next two on July 7 and August 6 are shallow penumbral eclipses, during which no change in the appearance of the Moon is likely to be seen. This is particularly true of the July event. The last lunar eclipse of the year is on December 31 UT. In New Zealand and Australia, the date will already be January 1 at the time of the eclipse. This is a partial eclipse, just, with one edge of the Moon just moving into the full, umbral, shadow of the Earth.
Annular eclipse of the Sun January 26. No part visible from New Zealand.
Penumbral eclipse of the Moon February 9.
Total eclipse of the Sun July 22. No part visible from New Zealand.
Penumbral eclipse of the Moon July 7.
Penumbral eclipse of the Moon August 6.
Partial eclipse of the Moon December 31.
This path of this annular eclipse starts at dawn in the south Atlantic to the west of the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. It passes south of South Africa before swinging to the northeast across the Indian Ocean and then across southern Sumatra and Borneo to end at sunset in the Celebes Sea to the south of the Philippines.
A partial eclipse is visible from southern parts of Africa, the south and east of India and across southeast Asia, much of China, Indonesia and Australia, although there the eclipse starts close to sunset on the east coast.
This is a deep penumbral eclipse when the Earth only covers part of the Sun as seen from the Moon. As a result the Moon will stay illuminated throughout the eclipses and not darken. At its greatest depth the northern part of the Moon will be 90% immersed in the Earth's shadow, so should appear distinctly shaded to the eye. From the southern hemisphere this is the lower part of the Moon.
The entire eclipse is visible from New Zealand and Australia. The Moon enters the Earth's penumbra at 1:38:46 am NZDT on the morning of February 10 (Feb 9, 12:38:46 UT). No change will be visible at this stage. The greatest eclipse is at 3:38:15 am NZDT (14:38:15 UT). By this time the lower parts of the Moon, as seen from New Zealand and Australia, should be distinctly shaded. Over the next 2 hours the shading will disappear with the Moon leaving the penumbra at 5:37:40 am NZDT (16:37:40 UT).
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Path of the Moon through the Earth's shadow1. First contact with penumbra.4. Maximum penumbral eclipse. 7. Last contact with penumbra.
Visibility and Times of the Eclipse (below) |
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At this eclipse the Moon just touches the penumbra of the Earth's shadow. At its greatest only 20% of the Moon's diameter will be inside the penumbra. As a result no change in the illumination of the Moon will be visible to the eye. The eclipse occurs while the Moon is in the sky as seen from New Zealand and eastern Australia.
The length of totality for this eclipse is the greatest for the 21st century. At Surat on the coast of India and close to mid path the duration is 3 minutes and 14 seconds. The duration steadily increases to the east across India and China. As it leaves the east coast of China to the south of Shanghai its length will be a shade under 6 minutes. To the south of Japan it will last for a little under six and a half minutes. The greatest duration occurs some way further to the southeast, 6 minutes 39 seconds. The point where this occurs is just north of where the Sun will be overhead at local midday. The length of the eclipse then diminishes again as it travels southeast across the Pacific.
A partial eclipse is visible from most of Asia south of about latitude 60° north, from northern parts of Indonesia and from New Guinea. Many of the island groups in the western Pacific will also sea partial eclipse, as far east as Hawaii in the north. The southern edge of the partial eclipse just touches the northern most part of York peninsula in Australia. Otherwise no part of the eclipse is visible from Australia nor New Zealand, although the southern edge of the partial eclipse is less than 30 kilometers to the northeast of North Cape and a little further form Cape Brett and East Cape.
The Moon moves a little further into the penumbra of the Earth's shadow at this eclipse than the one on July 7. Even so at its greatest only 40% of the Moon's diameter will be inside the penumbra. As a result little or no change in the illumination of the Moon will be visible to the eye.
The eclipse occurs at about midday, NZST, so the Moon will not be visible from New Zealand. It will be visible from Africa, much of Europe and South America during the time of the eclipse.
This partial eclipse occurs on 2010 January 1 in New Zealand where no stage of the eclipse is visible. The umbral part of the eclipse is very slight, only 7.5% of the Moon will be in the umbral, fully dark, portion of the Earth's shadow.
The eclipse will be visible from much of Australia, from Asia and Europe and most of Africa. For Europe, Africa and the middle East, the eclipse occurs on December 31. For places like India in central Asia the eclipse starts in 2009 and ends in 2010. Further east again in China, Indonesia and Australia the eclipse is on January 1.