MBK-Team Lunar eclipses - Total Lunar Eclipse November 8/9, 2003 from Slovenia

Total Lunar eclipse

November 8/9, 2003

In the evening before the total Lunar eclipse there was a low cloud cover over most of Slovenia. Three members of MBK Team decided to try to observe from a ski resort Trije Kralji, Slovenia at an altitude of 1185 m. We arrived to the site at about 23:45 LT. There was about 20 cm of snow at the site but the sky was perfectly clear. Part of the Moon was already in the Earth's shadow. The total eclipse was bright with an estimated L=3.5 on Danjon scale. The edge of the umbra appeared brownish orange with the brighter rim yellowish white.
Apart from photographing the eclipse we also estimated the magnitude of the eclipsed Moon with reversed binoculars. The Moon magnitude is represented on graph below, the lowest value was achieved during mid-eclipse with the magnitude estimated about -2.5.

Church at the observing location bathing in the light from partially eclipsed Moon at 02:10 UT. Eight minute exposure with 37-mm f/2.8 lens and Fuji 800 film. Photo: Javor Kac.

Lunar magnitude during the eclipse. Green arrow denotes the time of maximum eclipse.

Circumstances of the Eclipse

Moon enters penumbra: 2003 Nov 08  22:15:04
Moon enters umbra:    2003 Nov 08  23:32:25
Start of totality:    2003 Nov 09  01:06:12
Maximum eclipse:      2003 Nov 09  01:18:27
End of totality:      2003 Nov 09  01:30:41
Moon leaves umbra:    2003 Nov 09  03:04:29
Moon leaves penumbra: 2003 Nov 09  04:21:52

Umbral magnitude: 1.022
Penumbral magnitude: 2.140

Duration of total phase:  0h 24m 29s
Duration of umbral phase: 3h 32m 03s

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All photos on this page are © MBK Team 2003.

Photos below were shot by Javor Kac with 500-mm f/5.6 lens and Fuji 800 film: