On Eclipse Visibility

The year 2019 brings us 5 eclipses which is something people are excited about. However, not all of these are visible in the Philippines. Geographical differences affect our view in the sense that at the moment an eclipse takes place in one side of the globe, the other side of the globe does not see it. Of the 5 eclipses, only two are visible from the Philippines (with one needing a geographical advantage in the South).

Jan 6 Partial Solar Eclipse (Not visible in the Philippines)

Jan 20 Total Lunar Eclipse (Not visible in the Philippines)

July 2 Solar Eclipse (Not visible in the Philippines)

July 17 Lunar Eclipse (Eclipse at Moonset, part of eclipse not visible)

Dec 26 Annular Solar Eclipse (Partial for most of the Philippines, annular from the Southernmost tip of Mindanao)

Eclipses happen when an object of roughly the same apparent size covers the other object. In the case of a solar eclipse the configuration is Sun-Moon-Earth, and for lunar it is Sun-Earth-Moon.

The duration and area covered by an eclipse is dependent on how big the shadow is cast by the eclipsing object. For a lunar eclipse the Earth's shadow is cast on the Moon and since the Earth is much bigger it casts a larger shadow. Any area where the umbral shadow is cast when the Moon passes will see a total lunar eclipse. Now note that the Moon's orbit is tilted with respect to the Sun-Earth plane, therefore the angle in which the Moon passes behind the Earth varies. A lunar eclipse lasts longer when the Moon passes as close to the center of the shadow as possible.

The July 17 Lunar eclipse is partly visible from our reference. From our geographical location on the globe (that's right flat-earther's) the Earth will be rotating us away from the eclipse during the 'Blood Moon' phase. Meaning the Philippines will move or rather rotate to the Sun facing side of the Earth as the rest of the eclipse takes place in view from other geographical locations. From our view it can be seen as an eclipse during Moonset.

In the case of a solar eclipse it is the Moon casting a shadow on the Earth. Now since the Moon is smaller it casts a smaller shadow making the eclipsed area smaller. As a result the geographic location experiencing a solar eclipse is very limited. As you can see in the picture on the right (Image by NASA DSCOVR EPiC Team) the shadow of the Moon only covers a certain region. Since the shadow is relatively small a solar eclipse will only last for a short time.

In the case of the December 2019 Annular Solar Eclipse the image below (Fred Espenak|NASA GSFC) shows the eclipse path and regions of the globe they are visible in. The red band is where the center of the Moon's shadow passes where the eclipse will be seen as an "annulus" or ring. Note that when an annular eclipse happens it means that the Moon is further from the Earth on its orbit, which in turn results to an even smaller shadow. For observers in the Philippines the amount in which the Sun is eclipsed will vary depending on how close you are to the shadow. Observers in Luzon will see less of an eclipse as compared to observers in Mindanao.

Before making the Balut island simulation I ran it for Gen San. Even from Gen San it doesn't appear as an annulus.

Note: I accidentally edited the original post while updating the 2019 NAW calendar. I have tried to redo the general content as how I remember it.

Blood Moon 2014

We were initially set-up at Trinoma to have a good view of the moonrise. However, the cloudy skies made us want to call it a night. As we were leaving the Moon began to appear. One jeep ride and a short run after we were able to setup the telescope (thank God its a Dobsonian) and image away. Bible study goers at the UCCP-CHR as well as jeepney drivers joined in as we observed. Here are some of the images I took:

From Shades of Grey to Brilliant Red - December 10, 2011 Total Lunar Eclipse

Last night was the second total lunar eclipse of the year visible from the Philippines. I was fortunate enough to witness both however I failed to observe all phases of the second due to poor weather. We were suppose to go to PAGASA observatory with the RTU students but my companions decided to call off the observation since the sky remained covered with thick clouds by the evening. It also rained when the penumbral stage began.

I waited outside after the rain hoping the skies would clear up, but it remained heavilly clouded. I kept up with the updates from observers in Negros via txt and they were blessed with superb sky conditions to see the eclipse and the meteors that streaked by.

Later, gaps began to emerge and the red moon was revealed. I rushed to set up the camera to image the red moon. I was able to see the eclipsed moon till the end with occasional covering of clouds. I also failed to use the TravelScope 70 as lens attachment since the tripod that came with it couldn't hold the weight when pointed at the zenith.

 

December 10, 2011 - Total Lunar Eclipse

This coming Saturday, December 10, 2011, we will experience the 2nd Total Lunar Eclipse visible to the Philippines this year (A timely astronomical event for those still watching breaking dawn..hehe).

Here is the Eclipse time table provided by Fred Espenak on the Astroleague of the Philippines site:

Eclipse Phases	Time (PST)	Altitude	Azimuth
Moon enters Penumbra	07:33:32 pm	30 deg	72 deg E
Moon enters Umbra	08:45:42 pm	47 deg	72 deg E
Moon enters Totality	10:06:16 pm	64 deg	67 deg E
Maximum Totality	10:31:48 pm	70 deg	63 deg NE
Moon exits Totality	10:57:24 pm	75 deg	55 deg NE
Moon exits Umbra	12:17:58 am	80 deg	325 deg NW
Moon exits Penumbra	01:30:00 am	65 deg	294 deg NW

 The reddening effect of the moon during the total lunar eclipse happens when the Moon enters the umbra, or the darker shadow of the Earth. When this happens, light from the Sun reaching the moon is blocked completely by the Earth, however the atmosphere of Earth acts as a lens which bends light into its component parts (spectra). The light that is bent most is the red part of the spectrum, which also explains the red-orange hue of the sky during sunrise and sunset. In contrast, blue wavelengths are the easiest component of light that is scattered - hence the blue colored sky as particles in the air scatter the blue light.

Withering in the Weather

The Ironies of Weather Foul-ups in Stargazing at the Start of the Year


Last Monday, 9 Feb. 2009, there was a penumbral lunar eclipse, which occured from 8:30 - 12 in the morning. Unfortunately, here in Dumaguete City, the weather provided a very minimal view of the moon.

Dumaguete, as you may have heard in the news, experienced flash flood on Saturday (Feb 7). The following night however provided a clear view of the almost full moon. Hoping for good weather, me and my friends waited for the night and then... we were dismayed by the cloudy skies. Ironically, the following night (Feb 10), the moon was clear as a gem in the night.

Another irony was during the annular solar eclipse. I was suppose to have a class at the time of the eclipse, but we just happened to be dismissed early. I was glad since I thought I would not get to see it. Unfortunately all the dark rain clouds covered up the sun.

The weather always plays as a sinister factor when it comes to stargazing. And ironic as it is, in the past weeks, clear skies seem to happen when I don't do any observing. I hope the rest of the astronomical events and viewing schedules for the IYA won't be obscurred by foul weather.

Clear Skies to All! (Please!)

Partial Solar Eclipse

As posted earlier, there would be two partial SOLAR (hehe.. sorry if i wrote lunar last time) eclipses visible in the Philippines. The first occured last Jan 26 with 71%, but unfortunately for some areas, such as Iligan and Dumaguete, the rainy weather blocked the view of this event. For those in Manila, they were able to see the eclipse.

Anyways, there is still one more chance for this year (which may i remind those who don't know, is the IYA2009). The second solar eclipse will occur on July 22, 2009. This time, it would be in the morning, but only at 49% (growing smaller as you move south).

Clear Skies!