Back to Bandiagara:An Eclipsed Moonabove Mali in March

This is what came before from Bandiagara.


I spoke with a good friend in Ohio a few days ago about our intention to leave the Land of Morning Calm. We plan to go back to Africa -- this time, south of the Sahara. I mentioned March as our arrival date, and my friend suddenly became all excited and loud: "That's when it happens! March 2007!"

"What happens?"

"I remember, that's when it's supposed to happen: March 2007!"

"What happens?!"

Well, in 1994 my friend had a dream in which the planets were grouped together during an eclipse. She mentioned it to a friend soon afterward, and was told, "Yeah, that's really going to happen in March 2007."

So she asked me what else I might knew about this event, but I just sat on this end, brow furled, knowing there isn't going to be a solar eclipse in March*... and then I became all excited when I remembered the total lunar eclipse that will take place that month. Not only will the eclipse be visible across the whole continent, but it will also occur just before the massive commemoration of Ali Farka Toure's life in Mali.

Anyhow, having remembered all of that, I knew I'd have to look into this decade-old signal that my friend had retained from dreamtime.

Here, then, is some advance info about the total lunar eclipse of March 3/4, 2007:

"The first of two total lunar eclipses in 2007 is unique in that it is partly visible from every continent around the world. The eclipse occurs 3.2 days before apogee and 1.9 days after the Moon occults Saturn (seen from northern and eastern Europe).

"During the eclipse, the Moon is in southern Leo, about 13º east of the 1.3-magnitude star Regulus (alpha Leo). The Moon's orbital trajectory takes it through the northern half of Earth's umbral shadow. Although the eclipse is not central, the total phase still lasts 73 minutes."


The graphic above details the Moon's path through Earth's shadow on March 3, 2007. The map illustrates worldwide visibility of the lunar eclipse.


The stellar projection above shows the sky at 11:11 p.m., March 3, 2007, at 19.5N, 3.3W. Note that every planet except Saturn will be on the opposite side of the planet.


19.5N, 3.3W is several hundred kilometers directly north of Timbuktu in Mali. A location along the same longitude, but at 14.3N [the villages of Tireli and Amani], is in the area of the Bandiagara Escarpment, home to Mali's Dogon tribe.

"During totality, the spring constellations will be well placed for viewing so a number of bright stars can be used for magnitude comparisons. Spica is 40º southeast of the eclipsed Moon, while Arcturus is 49º to the northeast. Alphard or Alpha Hya is 28º to the southwest and Procyon is 50º to the west. Saturn shines at magnitude +0.8 about 24º northwest of the Moon near the western border of Leo.

"The entire eclipse will be visible from Europe, Africa and western Asia. In eastern Asia, moonset occurs during various stages of the eclipse. For example, the Moon sets while in total eclipse from central China and southeast Asia. Western Australia catches part of the initial partial phases but the Moon sets before totality. Observers in eastern North and South America will find the Moon already partially or totality eclipsed at moonrise. From western North America, only the final penumbral phases are visible."