Solar eclipse of December 4, 2002

Solar eclipse of December 4, 2002
classification
Type	Total
area	Southern Africa , Antarctica , Indonesia , Australia Total: Southern Africa , South India , South Australia
Saros cycle	142 (22 of 72)
Gamma value	−0.3021
Greatest eclipse
Duration	2 minutes 4 seconds
place	Indian Ocean
location	39 ° 28 ′  S , 59 ° 33 ′  E Coordinates: 39 ° 28 ′  S , 59 ° 33 ′  E
time	December 4, 2002 7:31:12   UT
size	1.0244

The total solar eclipse of December 4, 2002 was the second total solar eclipse in the third millennium. It took place almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere and was unobservable from all over Europe.

course

The eclipse began in the Atlantic just south of the equator . On the west coast of Africa, in Angola , the shadow path of the 2002 eclipse crossed the previous total solar eclipse of June 21, 2001 . A little south of the port city of Sumbe , two total solar eclipses were observed in a period of less than two years.

As it progressed, the umbra path of the 2002 eclipse grazed Zambia , Namibia , Botswana , Zimbabwe , South Africa, and crossed Mozambique before leaving the African continent. After crossing the Indian Ocean , the umbra reached southern Australia in the evening hours and left the earth via Australia.

The maximum of the eclipse took place in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the duration of the total phase there was 2 minutes and 4 seconds, the umbra was a maximum of 87 kilometers wide.

literature

• Hans-Ulrich Keller (Ed.): Kosmos Himmelsjahr 2002 . Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-440-08527-9 .

Web links

Commons : Solar eclipse of December 4th, 2002  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• solar-eclipse.de: The total solar eclipse of December 4th, 2002
• NASA: Total Solar Eclipse of 2002 Dec 4
• Solar Eclipses of Saros 142