Solar Eclipse Question?

[parthenos]

I was fortunate enough to be only a few arc minutes off centre line during the 2006 solar eclipse. This was my first total eclipse and as you can imagine I found the whole experience both fascinating and awe inspiring. How I felt seconds before totality is well beyond the scope of this short post; euphoria, ecstasy and excitement totally unparalleled as yet in my life. I viewed this eclipse in Side, Turkey at approximately latitude +36and +30 longitude with totality lasting for over 3 minutes and 30 seconds.<br /><br />I managed to capture a few relatively good, however none professional pictures of the eclipse using a old SLR camera with a 500mm lens.<br /><br />The whole experience has left a major impact on my life, so much so, that I’ve decided to become a major eclipse chaser and plan to be in Mongolia for the 2008 eclipse and in the Gilbert Islands for 2009 (The longest eclipse this century!) <br /><br />As one would expect, a few days before the eclipse the moon was not visible, however a few days after the eclipse the moon started to show it’s self. This then brings me onto my question: I observed three days after totality that the moon became visible starting from the bottom quadrant instead of its usual right hand side. I have observed the moon from lots of different latitudes but never experienced this phenomenon before; it’s always started from the right hand side and then building. <br /><br />Is this something that only happens directly after a solar eclipse and if so would somebody give me some insight as to why this happens or am I missing something real basic and if so, why the moon’s crescent builds from the bottom quadrant in Latitude +36<br /><br />Waiting with intrigue and interest<br />

 

[CalliArcale]

The difference from what you're used to is that in a solar eclipse, the Moon is directly on the line of the ecliptic, so it was probably rising at a slightly different angle than you're used to. It's still the same part of the Moon getting lit up first. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[skeptic]

Two weeks before the eclipse I was driving and watching the full moon rise, unaware of the upcoming eclipse. I noticed that the edge of the moon in the upper right of the disk was slightly darker than the rest of the moon. I guessed that it was just grazing the edge of the earth's shadow similar to a lunar eclipse. A short time later this effect disappeared. When I did hear of the eclipse, I was sure that was what I saw.

 

[qso1]

What you saw would not have been a solar eclipse if I understood you correctly. It would have been a partial lunar eclipse which sometimes occurs in the same month as solar eclipses. A solar eclipse can only occur during a new moon while lunar occurs during a full moon.<br /><br />When I get my astronomy software back onto my computer, I can verify the eclipse you saw. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[eosophobiac]

Why will the eclipse in '09 be the longest in history? I'm guessing it has something to do with the distance of the moon..? How long will it be? <br />And also, where are the Gilbert Islands? <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <br />(I know I could use google, but I'm somewhat pressed for time today.)<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

The only way to experience a longer solar eclipse is to fly in an airplane that can keep up with the moon's shadow. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

Well, relative to an Earthbound observer, the moon's shadow is racing past, so that's what I was referring to. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />Actually, it's a combination of the shadow moving and the Earth rotating, of course. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[tropicalzone]

the longest total eclipse for the next millennium will be july 16,2186 at 7 min 29 sec just 2 sec short of the longest possible!!