Image Measurements of Lunar Eclipse 20070303
by Byron Soulsby
Theodore Lunar Observatory Australia
(email: minnah@netspeed.com.au)

This lunar eclipse was not visible from Australia, but fortunately eighteen high quality images were made available by Thomas Tuchan and these have been evaluated for umbra measurement.
The images commenced at 22h28m (UT) and concluded at 02h28m (UT). For this eclipse first contact was at 21:29, second at 22:43, third at 23:58 and fourth at 01:11. The last contact of the penumbra was at 02:25.

Here is one typical Image : 3474 taken at 23h18m (local time UT+1 hour):
3474

A combined plot from the Digimizer measurements of the umbra is given in the link following, using a calibrated semi-diameter of the Moon from 0.2477 to 0.2474 degrees, from U1 to P4 - see my web page values for Sc under circumstances. The expected value of Fi (the semi-diameter of the umbra) is 0.6535 degrees at opposition.

Here is a typical umbra measurement using Digimizer (the blue profile is the end of the umbra transition and the red is the beginning of the transition - this is also shown in the adjacent image in an NIH Image J greyscale (or brightness) contour taken just across the umbra edge):

0230contour 
Sabahattin Bilsel also produced 21 images which have been measured for the size of the umbra as shown in the Excel Charts.

Here is a Mosaik of the complete set of images:

mosaik

image

The above composite image has been measured with Digimizer giving a semi-diameter of the complete umbra as 0.745 degrees.

Prepared by the Theodore Lunar Observatory Australia on 2007 March 23.