KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS

PHYSICS DEPARTMENT

TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE OF 28 OCTOBER 2004

Eclipses can take place whenever the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon are aligned in or nearly in a straight line. As the Moon orbits the Earth, it reaches points along its orbit where it is in line with the Sun, but usually its orbit is tilted (inclined) with the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. When the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun (conjunction) it is called a New Moon, and when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon (opposition), it is called a Full Moon.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Full Moon enters the Earth’s shadow as it orbits the Earth as shown in Figs 1, 2, and 3. Lunar eclipses can be observed from all the areas that will fall into the nigh time during the lunar eclipse. A total lunar eclipse is predicted to occur on Thursday, 28^th October 2004. According to the Local Time of Saudi Arabia (GMT+3), the start of the lunar eclipse (the instance moon touches the Earth’s Shadow) will occur at about 4:15 a.m. The total lunar eclipse starts at about 5:24 a.m. (the instance moon disappears completely into the shadow) and it ends at about 6:45 a.m. (the instance moon starts to emerge out of the shadow). Finally, at about 7:54 a.m. the moon will completely get out of the earth’s shadow and that is the end of the observable lunar eclipse. People around the world can see some stages of the lunar eclipse except east and middle of Asia, Alaska and Australia. Observers in areas located in west Africa, west Europe, south America, and North America (except western areas) can see all stages of the lunar eclipse. Only part of the lunar eclipse is observable in Saudi Arabia since the Sun rises before the end of the eclipse, All the areas of Saudi Arabia will see the start of the eclipse and part of the totality, which increases as we go toward the west (all the totality will be visible from the north-west area as in Tabook) see the table.

Please remember that Eclipses or any other celestial phenomena are not related to life, death, or destiny or fate of a person. A solar eclipse coincided with the day of the death of Ibraheem, son of our Prophet Mohammad - PBUH and people believed that it happed because of his death, but our Prophet – PBUH said: (what the meaning is) the Sun and the Moon are Signs of Allah and they will NOT be eclipsed for the death or the life of any person, if you see them make dua’a to Allah and pray till it is over. Therefore, do not forget to observe the Eclipse prayer during the eclipse time as directed to us by our Prophet - PBUH.

TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE OF 28 October 2004

A total lunar eclipse will take place with the well of Allah on Thursday 14 Ramadhan 1425 H according to Umm-AlQura Calendar (28 October 2004). Part of the eclipse will be visible around the world except middle and east of Asia, Alaska, and Australia. Observers in areas located in west Africa, west Europe, south America, and North America (except western areas) can see all stages of the lunar eclipse. Only part of the lunar eclipse is observable in Saudi Arabia since the Sun rises before the end of the eclipse as listed in the table.. The timings for the different stages of the lunar eclipse are given below according to Saudi Arabian Local Time that is GMT+3 (see Figs 1, 2, 3& the table):

The moon will enter the earth's shadow at about 4:15 a.m. (1)

The TOTAL eclipse starts at about 5:24 pa.m. (2)

The middle of the total eclipse will be at about 6:04 a.m. (3)

The total eclipse ends at about 6:45 a.m. (4)

The moon will leave the earth's shadow at about 7:54 a.m. (5)

The entire eclipse will last for about three hours and forty minutes (219 minutes). The totality stage will last for about an hour and a third (81 minutes).

Observers in Saudi Arabia can watch only part of the eclipse and the duration increases toward the west as stated in the table.

For more information please contact: Dr. Ali Mohammad Al-Shukri, Chairman of Physics Department, Physics Dept., KFUPM

Tel: 860-2255 - Fax: 860-2293 - email: alshukri@kfupm.edu.sa Homepage: users.kfupm.edu.sa/PHYS/alshukri

City	Sunrise	Duration of visible eclipse	Duration of visible totality	Altitude of the Moon at the start of eclipse
Makkah	6:21	126 minutes	57 minutes	28 degrees
Madinah	6:26	131 minutes	62 minutes	29 degrees
Riyadh	5:58	103 minutes	34 minutes	22 degrees
Buraidah	6:10	115 minutes	46 minutes	23 degrees
Dammam	5:46	91 minutes	22 minutes	20 degrees
Abha	6:07	112 minutes	43 minutes	23 degrees
Tabook	6:42	147 minutes	78 minutes	30 degrees
Hail	6:21	126 minutes	57 minutes	28 degrees