Solar eclipse of May 31, 2003
Introduction An annular solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of the orbit on Saturday, May 31, 2003.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. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun's, blocking most of the Sun's light and causing the Sun to look like an annulus (ring). An annular eclipse appears as a partial eclipse over a region of the Earth thousands of kilometres wide.Annularity was visible across central Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Jan Mayen and northern Scotland. Partiality was visible throughout Europe, Asia, and far northwestern Canada.People from around the world traveled to see the eclipse from the small portion of Britain from which it could be seen, with the ''Independent'' saying: "A timely gap in the clouds was all it took to make the arduous journey to the northernmost reaches of Scotland worthwhile". In the village of Durness, the eclipse was observed by Patrick Moore and Brian May. However, viewing parties in Orkney saw "just another grey morning in the far north of Scotland". In India, hundreds of thousands of Hindus carried out a tradition of bathing in sacred rivers during the eclipse, with queues as long as .A partial eclipse was observed in large parts of Asia, the middle East, and Europe, including Greece.Animation
Images File:Garrulus - Eclips boven Chassepierre (by).jpg|Chassepierre, BelgiumFile:Eclipse--31-05-2003-2.jpg|From Belfort, FranceFile:Sunrise Eclipse 2003 May 31.jpg|Wonneberg, GermanyFile:20030531 Oria (30847677046).jpg|From Oria, ItalyFile:Sun eclipse venice 5.31.2003 (32682446663).jpg|From Venice, ItalyFile:Zonsverduistering mei 2003 WIlleskop.jpg|Willeskop, NetherlandsFile:Solareclipse1 (1683459168).jpg|From Oslo, NorwayFile:Solar eclipse Ringerike 2003.jpg|From Ringerike, NorwayFile:Annular eclipse from Tom Mor - near maximum (geograph 1662570).jpg|Grantown-on-Spey, Scotland
Related eclipses === 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.=== Solar eclipses 2000–2003====== Saros 147 ====== Tritos series ===Series members between 1901 and 2100150pxMarch 6, 1905(Saros 138)150pxFebruary 3, 1916(Saros 139)150pxJanuary 3, 1927(Saros 140)150pxDecember 2, 1937(Saros 141)150pxNovember 1, 1948(Saros 142)150pxOctober 2, 1959(Saros 143)150pxAugust 31, 1970(Saros 144)150pxJuly 31, 1981(Saros 145)150pxJune 30, 1992(Saros 146)150pxMay 31, 2003(Saros 147)150pxApril 29, 2014(Saros 148)150pxMarch 29, 2025(Saros 149)150pxFebruary 27, 2036(Saros 150)150pxJanuary 26, 2047(Saros 151)150pxDecember 26, 2057(Saros 152)150pxNovember 24, 2068(Saros 153)150pxOctober 24, 2079(Saros 154)150pxSeptember 23, 2090(Saros 155)===Metonic series===
See also * List of solar eclipses visible from the United Kingdom 1000–2090 AD
Notes
References '''Photos:'''*  Spaceweather.com solar eclipse gallery*  Czech Republic. Prof. Druckmüller's eclipse photography site*  Eclipse in the Mist, APOD 6/4/2003, Dawn partial from Charneux, Belgium*  Ring of Fire from Cape Wrath, APOD 6/5/2003, Annular eclipse from Cape Wrath, northwestern coast of Scotland*  Sun, Moon, Hot Air Balloon, APOD 6/6/2003, partial eclipse from Bonn, Germany*  Clouds and the Moon Move to Block the Sun, APOD 6/18/2003, partial eclipse from Vienna, Austria*  Photos of solar eclipse around the world