Full data for Solar & Lunar Eclipses in 2012

Hi all,  I thought some actual data is very useful for those of you who just want to observe, or do esoteric / magical work.

All times are `Universal Time (UT) which is for all intents equivalent to GMT.  Universal Time is based on the rotation of Earth on its axis with respect to the Stars!

Some explanations  (types of eclipses):

• Annular – when the Moon blocks out the Sun and a ring of the Sun can be seen around it.
• Partial – when only part of the Sun or moon is blocked.
• Penumbral eclipse:  This is difficult to spot easily, as the object (moon) just gently goes a bit darker or redish.

Annular Solar Eclipse:  20th May 2012

Greatest Eclipse at  23:52 hrs UT      (Duration: 5 min 46 sec).

P1-  20:56 hrs;      P4- 02:49 hrs.

U1 – 22:06 hrs;   U2 – 22:11 hrs;   U3- 01:33 hrs;  U4- 01:39hrs.

Total Solar Eclipse:  13th Nov’12

Greatest Eclipse at 22:11 hrs   (duration: 4min 02 sec).

P1  19:37 hrs;       P2- 21:43;      P3- 22:39;        P4- 00:45;

U1- 20:35;            U2- 20:37;        U3-23:46;        U4-23:48 hrs;

Partial Lunar Eclipse:  4th June’12

Greatest Eclipse at 11:04 hrs   ( 2 hrs 07 min).

P1- 8.48hrs;       U1- 9;59 hrs;       U4- 12:06 hrs;     P4- 13:18 hrs;

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse:  28th Nov’12

Greatest eclipse at 14:34 hrs    (4 hrs 35min).

P1- 12:14 hrs;         P4- 16:50hrs.

Explanation of P1, P2, U1 etc..    Above diagram shows what happens at eclipses, graphically and pictorially. Large light sources (such as the Sun) create 2 types of shadows – the lighter shadow called Penumbra, and the true full shadow (no light) called Umbra. When Earth passes through the shadow, it must go through penumbra, then into Umbra, then  penumbra and finally out of it.  Each of these entry & exit stages have been designated a notation in science. P1 is the time when the Earth begins to enter the outer shadow. U1 is when it enters the full shadow. U2 is when it is fully inside the full shadow, and U3 is when it starts to leave it.  This means the time between U2 & U3 is when it is fully in the dark – `Greatest Eclipse’ (and the duration of this is given in tables above).

Sometimes the stellar object may not pass into the full shadow (umbra). It may skirt through only the penumbra. This happens on the Lunar eclipse of 28th Nov’12, when the moon just passes through Earth’s penumbral shadow only.

All art/ graphics (c) Mani Navasothy/2012

” Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA’s GSFC”

-Mani