Here is a brief description of the program.


Purpose         : Compute, for any given year and month, the times of
                  the possible lunar eclipse.

                  There can be 3 possibilities:
                    1) No eclipse
                    2) Penumbral eclipse
                    3) Umbral eclipse.
                    The last one (Umbral eclipse) can be of 2 types:
                     a) Total
                     b) Partial

                  For the Penumbral Eclipse is given the time of maximum.
                  For the Umbral eclipse the following times are given:
                    - Total eclipse:
                       Beginning of partial phase;
                       Beginning of total phase;
                       Maximum
                       End of total phase;
                       End of partial phase;
                    - Partial eclipse:
                       Beginning of partial phase;
                       Maximum;
                       End of partial phase;

All times are expressed in hours and minutes (Universal Time).
Note that sometimes the program give times like 20.60, which must
be read as 21.00.

Try out these year/months:
        1978 9  --> Total Eclipse
        1997 3  --> Partial Eclipse
        1973 6  --> Penumbral Eclipse
        2003 11 --> Total Eclipse

Sergio Filippini
E-Mail : filippini@mclink.it

References:
Atronomical Algorithms, Jean Meuss, Willman-Bell
The Astronomical Almanac, Nautical Almanac Office


