December 1945 lunar eclipse

{{Infobox lunar eclipse

| type = total

| image = Lunar eclipse chart close-1945Dec19.png

| caption = The Moon's hourly motion shown right to left

| date = December 19, 1945

| gamma = −0.2845

| magnitude = 1.3424

| saros_ser = 124

| saros_no = 45 of 74

| totality = 78 minutes, 53 seconds

| partiality = 204 minutes, 54 seconds

| penumbral = 320 minutes, 52 seconds

| p1 = 23:39:56

| u1 = 0:37:52

| u2 = 1:40:53

| greatest = 2:20:20

| u3 = 2:59:46

| u4 = 4:02:46

| p4 = 5:00:47

| previous = June 1945

| next = June 1946

}}

A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Wednesday, December 19, 1945,{{cite web|title=December 18–19, 1945 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/1945-december-19|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=20 December 2024}} with an umbral magnitude of 1.3424. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon's near side entirely passes into the Earth's umbral shadow. Unlike a solar eclipse, which can only be viewed from a relatively small area of the world, a lunar eclipse may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of Earth. A total lunar eclipse can last up to nearly two hours, while a total solar eclipse lasts only a few minutes at any given place, because the Moon's shadow is smaller. Occurring about 1.6 days after perigee (on December 17, 1945, at 12:40 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.{{cite web|title=Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/distance.html?year=1945&n=136|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=20 December 2024}}

Visibility

The eclipse was completely visible over much of North and South America, west Africa, Europe, and northern Russia, seen rising over the eastern Pacific Ocean and setting over east and southern Africa and much of Asia.{{cite web|title=Total Lunar Eclipse of 1945 Dec 19|url=https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEplot/LEplot1901/LE1945Dec19T.pdf|publisher=NASA|access-date=20 December 2024}}

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Eclipse details

Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.{{cite web|title=Total Lunar Eclipse of 1945 Dec 19|url=https://eclipsewise.com/lunar/LEprime/1901-2000/LE1945Dec19Tprime.html|publisher=EclipseWise.com|access-date=20 December 2024}}

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|+December 19, 1945 Lunar Eclipse Parameters

! Parameter

! Value

Penumbral Magnitude

| 2.32932

Umbral Magnitude

| 1.34237

Gamma

| −0.28453

Sun Right Ascension

| 17h46m11.1s

Sun Declination

| -23°24'29.1"

Sun Semi-Diameter

| 16'15.4"

Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

| 08.9"

Moon Right Ascension

| 05h46m20.2s

Moon Declination

| +23°07'25.0"

Moon Semi-Diameter

| 16'28.3"

Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

| 1°00'27.1"

ΔT

| 27.3 s

Eclipse season

This eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two (or occasionally three) eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months (173 days) later; thus two full eclipse seasons always occur each year. Either two or three eclipses happen each eclipse season. In the sequence below, each eclipse is separated by a fortnight.

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|+ Eclipse season of December 1945–January 1946

! December 19
Ascending node (full moon) !! January 3
Descending node (new moon)

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| Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 124

Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 150

Related eclipses

= Eclipses in 1945 =

An annular solar eclipse on January 14.
A partial lunar eclipse on June 25.
A total solar eclipse on July 9.
A total lunar eclipse on December 19.

= Metonic =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 3, 1942
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 7, 1949

= Tzolkinex =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 7, 1938
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 29, 1953

= Half-Saros =

Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 13, 1936
Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 25, 1954

= Tritos =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 19, 1935
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 18, 1956

= Lunar Saros 124 =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 8, 1927
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 30, 1963

= Inex =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 8, 1917
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 29, 1974

= Triad =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 17, 1859
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 18, 2032

= Lunar eclipses of 1944–1947 =

= Saros 124 =

= Tritos series =

= Inex series =

= Half-Saros cycle =

A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros This lunar eclipse is related to two total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 131.

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