Solar eclipse of November 23, 2003

A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Sunday, November 23, 2003, with a magnitude of 1.0379. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. It was visible from a corridor in the Antarctic region. A partial eclipse was seen from the much broader path of the Moon's penumbra, including the southern tip of South America and most of Australia.

For most solar eclipses the path of totality moves eastwards. In this case the path moved south and then west round Antarctica.

Observations
A Russian icebreaker departed from Port Elizabeth, South Africa carrying tourists to observe the eclipse near the Shackleton Ice Shelf and Novolazarevskaya Station, and then sailed to Hobart, Tasmania. About 100 people from 15 countries were on board, including Iranian amateur astronomer Babak Amin Tafreshi, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center astrophysicist Fred Espenak, Williams College professor Jay Pasachoff. There are also about 200 scientists and tourists taking two commercial charter flights to observe it over Antarctica. This was the first time humans observed a total solar eclipse from Antarctica.

Images
Animated map

Eclipses of 2003

 * A total lunar eclipse on May 16.
 * An annular solar eclipse (one limit) on May 31.
 * A total lunar eclipse on November 9.
 * A total solar eclipse on November 23.

Metonic

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 5, 2000
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 11, 2007

Tzolkinex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of October 12, 1996
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 4, 2011

Half-Saros

 * Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 18, 1994
 * Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 28, 2012

Tritos

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 24, 1992
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 23, 2014

Solar Saros 152

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 12, 1985
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 4, 2021

Inex

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 13, 1974
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 3, 2032

Triad

 * Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 23, 1917
 * Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 23, 2090