On the Lookout for Two Eclipses

Blame it on the moon, the sun and the stars
We have already witnessed some of the effects of the total lunar eclipse predicted for March 3rd, 2007. According to pundit Miles Davis aka Patita Pavana das (Lingering Effects of Eclipses), the EFI (eclipse field of influence) extends to 45 days preceding and 45 days after the event—in this case as far back as January 18th and again as far ahead as April 16th of this year. And again, the total lunar eclipse will be followed close on its heels by a partial solar eclipse on March 19th, with the same EFI rules applying, meaning that its effects should be manifest anytime from February 3rd through May 2nd.

According to the sidereal ephemeris I've been able to get my hands on, the sun will be in Aquarius from the beginning of March until the 15th, when it enters Pisces. At the time of the total lunar eclipse, the moon will be in the fiery sign Leo. At the time of the partial solar eclipse, the sun will be in Pisces, together with the new moon (amavasya). Add to the mix: Saturn in cancer, retrograde throughout March, and Mercury in Aquarius, retrograde until March 8th. Now, an astrologer can look at these positions, as well as the positions of the other planets, and predict with accuracy the location as well as the nature of phenomena that we might expect to see.

I'm no astrologer, so right here I'd like to invite those who do dabble in the science to jump in and publish your predictions—submit to . Here's your chance to stick out your necks! But I've dredged up some news items, and I'm listing them here just to see if any readers are paying attention so far: can you identify which of the items can be attributed to the March eclipses?

Out-of-the-ordinary stuff that's happened Jan 18 - Feb 23, 2007

January: First of UK letter bombs explodes
UK's Celebrity Big Brother 2007 under fire for racist treatment against actress Shilpa Shetty
Chinese missile takes out weather satellite
Naked feral woman found in Cambodia after missing 19 years
Hillary Clinton announces candidacy for US presidency
Unprecedented windstorm sweeps across UK, Netherlands and Germany
Storm Worm Trojan Horse infects thousands of computers in Europe and USA
276 passengers onboard QE 2 sickened by Norovirus
Tesco opens in Beijing
Container ship MSC Napoli aground in the English Channel
Snowfall at LAX—first since 1962!
Tens of thousands march in protest against US troop surge in Iraq war
US immigration crackdown on illegal aliens
Australian Open—Serena Williams's 8th Grand Slam, Roger Federer's 10th Grand Slam
Windows Vista released

February: Avian flu breakout in UK and Russia
Floods leave 340,000 homeless in Jakarta
Indianapolis Colts defeat Chicago Bears at Superbowl
More letter bombs in UK
Hack attack on backbone of Internet
Anna Nicole Smith dies at 39
Barack Obama announces candidacy for US presidency
Sea Shepherd collides with Japanese whaling ship
Tornado strikes New Orleans
Massive winter storm system hits N.E. USA and Eastern Canada, US Midwest
Flooding in Mozambique causes evacuation of 80,000
Fire onboard whaler Nisshin Maru
Britney Spears freaks out, shaves head
Chinese lunar new year
340,000 affected by floods in Bolivia
Combination Snow-Thunderstorm in Toronto
Fire breaks out onboard Indonesian passenger ferry carrying 350 passengers
Cyclone hits Mozambique
Bombing of passenger train "Friendship Express" between India and Pakistan

But seriously, You're invited
One thing we can predict with certainty: a most extraordinary event that takes place every year. The total lunar eclipse on March 3rd this year coincides with Gaura Purnima, which marks the day when Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in Bengal, India some 520 years ago with the mission to propagate harer nama sankirtan, the congregational chanting of the holy names of God, especially the Maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. There was a lunar eclipse at the time of Lord Chaitanya's advent, and people all over India were assembled to loudly sing and chant the names of God, transforming what is ordinarily an inauspicious occasion into an all-auspicious, transcendental opportunity to remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And so it is that every year on Gaura Purnima, the devotees gather wherever they are to celebrate the appearance of Lord Chaitanya and simultaneously the advent of His sankirtan mission by singing the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, accompanied by musical instruments, dancing in spiritual ecstasy and afterwards enjoying a vegetarian feast. So if you find yourself in the vicinity of a Hare Krishna center in the evening of March 3rd, drop by and join in for an unforgettable experience.

Total lunar eclipse
The Nasa website reports that the total lunar eclipse on March 3rd will be partly visible from every continent. The entire event will be visible across Europe, Africa and West Asia. East Asia (Central China, Southeast Asia) will get a glimpse of the total eclipse at moonset, while Western Australia will see only the partial eclipse (before totality) at moonset. North and South Americas will get to see partial or total eclipse at moonrise.

March 3, 2007
Total Lunar Eclipse

First contact (Penumbral): 20:18 UT
At that time it will be:
12:18 San Francisco (-8, PST)
15:18 New York (EST)
23:18 Moscow
01:48 New Delhi (+5.5) (Mar 4)
04:18 Hong Kong (+8) (Mar 4)

Partial Eclipse: Begins 21:30 UT
At that time it will be:
13:30 San Francisco (-8, PST)
16:30 New York (EST)
00:30 Moscow (Mar 15) (Mar 4)
03:00 New Delhi (+5.5) (Mar 4)
05:30 Hong Kong (+8) (Mar 4)

Total Eclipse: 22:44 - 23:57 UT
At that time it will be:
14:44 - 15:57 San Francisco (-8, PST)
17:44 - 18:57 New York (EST) (Mar 4)
01:44 - 02:57 Moscow (Mar 4)
04:14 - 05:27 New Delhi (+5.5) (Mar 4)
06:44 - 07:57 Hong Kong (+8) (Mar 4)

Greatest Eclipse: 23:20 UT
At that time it will be:
15:20 San Francisco (-8, PST)
18:20 New York (EST)
02:20 Moscow (Mar 4)
04:50 New Delhi (+5.5) (Mar 4)
07:20 Hong Kong (+8) (Mar 4)

Partial Ends 01:11 UT (Mar 4)
At that time it will be:
17:11 San Francisco (-8, PST)
20:11 New York (EST)
04:11 Moscow (Mar 4)
06:41 New Delhi (+5.5) (Mar 4)
09:11 Hong Kong (+8) (Mar 4)

Penumbral ends: 02:23 UT (Mar 4)
At that time it will be:
18:23 San Francisco (-8, PST)
21:23 New York (EST)
05:23 Moscow (Mar 4)
07:53 New Delhi (+5.5) (Mar 4)
10:23 Hong Kong (+8) (Mar 4)

Lunar eclipse, March 3, 2007 (Click on image to magnify view)

Partial solar eclipse

March 19, 2007
Partial Solar Eclipse

Beginning to End: 00:38 - 04:25 UT
(3 hrs 37 min)
At that time it will be:
17:38 - 21:25 San Francisco (-8, PDST) (Mar 18)
20:38 - 00:25 New York (EDST) (Mar 18 - Mar 19)
03:38 - 07:25 Moscow
06:08 - 09:55 New Delhi (+5.5)
08:38 - 12:25 Hong Kong (+8)

Greatest Eclipse: 02:31:56 UT
At that time it will be:
19:32 San Francisco (-8, PDST) (Mar 18)
22:32 New York (EDST) (Mar 18)
05:32 Moscow
08:02 New Delhi (+5.5)
10:32 Hong Kong (+8)

The solar eclipse on March 19th this year will be visible from East Asia and parts of Northern Alaska.

Go to Nasa's website for further information and exact times in your locality. Click on the image below to view magnified image.

path of solar eclipse across Africa, March 29 2006

Path of solar eclipse, March 19, 2007 (Click on image to magnify view)