Table 2.1. Elements of the Total Solar Eclipse of 2003 May 31


Geocentric Conjunction      23:21:19.59 TDT     J.D. = 2452967.473143
 of Sun & Moon in R.A.:   (=23:20:14.79 UT)

      Instant of            22:50:21.65 TDT     J.D. = 2452967.451639
   Greatest Eclipse:      (=22:49:16.85 UT)


Geocentric Coordinates of Sun & Moon at Greatest Eclipse (DE200/LE200):

Sun:       R.A. = R.A. = 15h56m23.195s       Moon:      R.A. = 15h55m07.521s
           Dec. =-20°24'22.85"                   Dec. =-21°20'45.70"
  Semi-Diameter =    16'11.82"          Semi-Diameter =    16'44.76"
    Eq.Hor.Par. =       08.91"            Eq.Hor.Par. =  1°01'27.25"
         Æ R.A. =       10.562s/h              Æ R.A. =      157.138s/h
         Æ Dec. =      -30.99"/h               Æ Dec. =     -673.37"/h



Lunar Radius   k1 = 0.2725076 (Penumbra)        Shift in      b =  0.00"
 Constants:    k2 = 0.2722810 (Umbra)       Lunar Position:   l =  0.00"

Geocentric Libration:   l =    0.0°       Brown Lun. No. =  1001
(Optical + Physical)    b =    1.3°         Saros Series =  152 (12/70)
                        c =   10.3°            Ephemeris = (DE200/LE200)

Eclipse Magnitude = 1.03788        Gamma =-0.96381            T =    64.8 s


Polynomial Besselian Elements for:   2003 Nov 23   23:00:00.0 TDT  (=t0)

  n        x          y          d          l1         l2          µ

  0  -0.1979529 -0.9479029-20.4053841  0.5373482 -0.0087654 168.398682
  1   0.5568983 -0.1739249 -0.0081768 -0.0000032 -0.0000032  14.998531
  2   0.0000570  0.0001989  0.0000050 -0.0000131 -0.0000130  -0.000003
  3  -0.0000094  0.0000031  0.0000000  0.0000000  0.0000000   0.000000


tan f1 = 0.0047348

tan f2 = 0.0047112

At time t1 (decimal hours), each Besselian element is evaluated by:

where: a = x, y, d, l1, l2, or µ; t = t1 - t0 (decimal hours), and t0 = 23.000 TDT

The Besselian elements were derived from a least-squares fit to elements calculated at five uniformly spaced times over a six hour period centered at t0. Thus the elements are valid over the period Nov. 23 20.00 < t1 < Nov. 24 02.00 TDT. Note that all times are expressed in Terrestrial Dynamical Time (TDT).


Saros Series 152: Member 12 of 70 eclipses in series.
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