Keys to the Five Millennium Canon of Lunar
Eclipses
1999 to +3000
Column |
Heading |
Definition/Description |
1 |
Catalog Number |
Sequential number of the eclipse in the catalog links to the figure published in the Five Millennium Canon of Lunar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000. |
|
Calendar Date |
Calendar Date at instant of Greatest Eclipse. Gregorian Calendar is used for dates after 1582 Oct 15. Julian Calendar is used for dates before 1582 Oct 04. |
2 |
Year |
Year of the Julian-Gregorian calendar, following the astronomers’ convention, i.e. there is a year 0 |
3 |
Month |
Month name of the Julian-Gregorian calendar |
4 |
Date |
Day number of the Julian-Gregorian calendar |
5 |
TD of Greatest Eclipse |
Dynamical Time (TD) of Greatest Eclipse, the instant when the distance between the center of the Moon and the axis or Earth’s umbral shadow cone reaches a minimum. |
6 |
Standard date |
String that expresses the Calendar Date under Open Office’s convention. Here the year after the minus follows the historians’ convention, i.e. year 1 comes just after year -1 |
7 |
Milesian date |
Complete date (with time) following the Milesian calendar at instant of Greatest Eclipse, in dynamical time (TD) |
8 |
Julian day |
Decimal julian day that matches the TD date |
9 |
M-year |
Year part of the Milesian date (it always follows the astronomers’ convention) |
10 |
M-month |
Month part of the Milesian date, a month number without “m” |
11 |
M-date |
Day number part of the Milesian date, a number 1 to 31 |
12 |
ΔT |
Delta T (ΔT) is the arithmetic difference between Dynamical Time and Universal Time. It is a measure of the accumulated clock error due to the variable rotation period of Earth. |
13 |
Luna Num |
Lunation Number is the number of synodic months since New Moon of 2000 Jan 06. The Brown Lunation Number can be determined by adding 953. |
14 |
Saros Num |
Saros series number of eclipse. (Each eclipse in a Saros is separated by an interval of 18 years 11.3 days.) |
15 |
Ecl. Type |
Eclipse Type where: N = Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. P = Partial Lunar Eclipse (in umbra). T = Total Lunar Eclipse (in umbra). Second character in Eclipse Type: "m" = Middle eclipse of Saros series. "+" = Central total eclipse (Moon's center passes north of shadow axis). "-" = Central total eclipse (Moon's center passes south of shadow axis). "*" = Total penumbral lunar eclipse. "b" = Saros series begins (first penumbral eclipse in series). "e" = Saros series ends (last penumbral eclipse in series). |
16 |
QSE |
Quincena Solar Eclipse Parameter identifies the type of solar eclipse that precedes and/or succeeds a lunar eclipse. Solar eclipse types: p = partial solar eclipse (Moon’s penumbral shadow traverses Earth). a = annular solar eclipse (Moon’s antumbral shadow traverses Earth). t = total solar eclipse (Moon’s umbral shadow traverses Earth). h = hybrid solar eclipse (Moon’s umbral and antumbral shadows traverse different parts of Earth; also known as an annular-total eclipse). |
17 |
Gamma |
Distance from the center of the shadow cone axis to the center of the Moon (in units of Earth's equatorial radii) at the instant of greatest eclipse. |
18 |
Pen. Mag. |
Penumbral magnitude is the fraction of the Moon's diameter immersed in the penumbra at the instant of greatest eclipse. (equal to the distance measured from the edge of the penumbral shadow to the edge of the Moon deepest in the penumbra). |
19 |
Umb. Mag. |
Umbral magnitude is the fraction of the Moon's diameter immersed in the umbra at the instant of greatest eclipse. (equal to the distance measured from the edge of the umbral shadow to the edge of the Moon deepest in the umbra). |
20 |
Duration Pen. |
Eclipse Phase Duration of penumbral phase of a lunar eclipse; equal to the time interval between first and last contact of the Moon with the penumbral shadow (= P4 - P1). |
21 |
Duration Par. |
Eclipse Phase Duration of partial phase of a lunar eclipse; equal to the time interval between first and last contact of the Moon with the umbral shadow (= U4 - U1). |
22 |
Duration Tot. |
Eclipse Phase Duration of total phase of a lunar eclipse; equal to the time interval between second and third contact of the Moon with the umbral shadow (= U3 - U2). |
23 |
Eclipse in Zenith Lat. |
Latitude on Earth where the Moon appears in the zenith at instant of greatest eclipse (counted towards North). |
24 |
Eclipse in Zenith Long. |
Longitude on Earth where the Moon appears in the zenith at instant of greatest eclipse (counted towards East). |