December 2010 lunar eclipse

{{Infobox lunar eclipse

| type = total

| image = Near Greatest Eclipse 20101221 0011-crop.jpg

| caption = Totality as viewed from San Jose, California, 8:11 UTC

| date = December 21, 2010

| gamma = 0.3213

| magnitude = 1.2576

| saros_ser = 125

| saros_no = 48 of 72

| totality = 72 minutes, 21 seconds

| partiality = 208 minutes, 41 seconds

| penumbral = 335 minutes, 7 seconds

| p1 = 5:29:21

| u1 = 6:32:38

| u2 = 7:40:48

| greatest = 8:16:57

| u3 = 8:53:09

| u4 = 10:01:19

| p4 = 11:04:28

| previous = June 2010

| next = June 2011

}}

A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Tuesday, December 21, 2010,{{cite web|title=December 20–21, 2010 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2010-december-21|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=15 November 2024}} with an umbral magnitude of 1.2576. 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 4 days before apogee (on December 25, 2010, at 7:15 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.{{cite web|title=Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/distance.html?year=2010&n=136|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=15 November 2024}}

This eclipse was notable in that it coincided with the date of the Winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and Summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. It was the first total lunar eclipse to occur on the day of the Northern Winter Solstice (Southern Summer Solstice) since 1638, and only the second in the Common Era.{{cite web |url=https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/17dec_solsticeeclipse/ |title=NASA Science News: Solstice Lunar Eclipse |publisher=Science.nasa.gov |date=2010-12-17 |access-date=2010-12-21 |archive-date=5 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141105100428/http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/17dec_solsticeeclipse/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/lunar-eclipse-winter-solstice-to-coincide-1.955339 |title=Lunar eclipse, winter solstice to coincide |publisher=Cbc.ca |date=2010-12-17 |access-date=2010-12-21}}

Visibility

The eclipse was completely visible over North America and the eastern Pacific Ocean, seen rising over east Asia and Australia and setting over South America, west Africa, and Europe.{{cite web|title=Total Lunar Eclipse of 2010 Dec 21|url=https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEplot/LEplot2001/LE2010Dec21T.pdf|publisher=NASA|access-date=15 November 2024}}

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|240px

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Hourly motion shown right to left

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The Moon's hourly motion across the Earth's shadow in the constellation of Taurus.

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Visibility map

Images

File:2010-12-21 Lunar Eclipse Sketch.png

Gallery

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|+ Progressions

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Progression from São Paulo, Brazil

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Progression from Anchorage, Alaska

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Panorama showing the view from the site of the VLT

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Sequence from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
(Sequence is in 15-minute increments, with 5-minute increments up until totality at 8:17 am UTC)

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Progression from Toronto, Canada

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From Jacksonville, Florida, 8:29 UTC - 10:06 UTC

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From Easton, Pennsylvania

Individual shots, sorted by time:

File:NYC Lunar Eclipse December 21 2010.jpg|From New York City, New York, 5:35 UTC

File:2010 Lunar Eclipse Arlington VA.jpg|From Arlington County, Virginia, ~7:30 UTC

File:Lunar Eclipse by Jiyang Chen.jpg|From New York City, New York, 7:38 UTC

File:Lunar_Eclipse_seen_from_Seattle_21-12-2010.jpg|From Seattle, Washington, beginning of totality, 7:41 UTC{{cite web | url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/yatharthgupta/5279878696/ | title=Total Eclipse of the Moon | date=21 December 2010 | location=Seattle | first=Yatharth | last=Gupta | access-date=30 July 2020 | via=Flickr }}

File:December 2010 lunar eclipse.JPG|From the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada, 7:46 UTC

File:Moon Eclipse cropped From Miami 2010.jpg|From Miami, Florida, 7:52 UTC

File:Xmatt_-_eclipse_total_(by).jpg|From Richardson, Texas, 7:53 UTC

File:2010eclipse1.JPG|From Dover, Delaware, 7:54 UTC

File:December 2010 lunar eclipse 2.JPG|Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada during totality, 8:21 UTC

File:Dec 2010 Lunar Eclipse-1.jpg|From Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 8:26 UTC

File:2010-12-21 lunar eclipse Orlando FL.jpg|From Orlando, Florida, 8:28 UTC

File:Lunar Eclipse Dec 21 2010 Jacksonville.JPG|From Jacksonville, Florida, 8:30 UTC

File:Observando un Eclipse Lunar Total.png|Amateur scientists observing eclipse in Villa Gesell, Argentina, 8:34 UTC

File:Eclipse 2010.jpg|From Tucson, Arizona, 8:44 UTC

File:Lunar eclipse in Longjing township of taiwan.JPG|From Longjing District, Taichung, Taiwan at moonrise, 9:45 UTC

Animations:

File:Lunar_eclipse_chart_close-2010Dec21_animation.gif|{{center|Animated Simulation}}

File:Full_Moon_Eclipse_2010_Animation.gif|Time-lapsed animation
Miami, Florida

Timing

In North America, the eclipse was visible in its entirety on 21 December 2010, from 12:27 a.m. to 6:06 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.{{cite web|author=Greg|title=Total Lunar Eclipse of December 21, 2010|date=11 December 2010 |url=http://www.outerspaceuniverse.org/total-lunar-eclipse-of-december-21-2010.html|publisher=Outer Space Universe|access-date=3 January 2011}} In the Central Standard Time zone and west, the eclipse began the night of 20 December.{{LEplot2001 link|2010|Dec|21|T}} Observers along South America's east coast missed the late stages of the eclipse because they occurred after moon-set.{{cite web |url=http://www.citystatetimes.com/1888/what-time-is-the-lunar-eclipse-2010-tonight/ |title=What Time is the Lunar Eclipse 2010 Tonight? |publisher=City State Times |access-date=2010-12-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222010045/http://www.citystatetimes.com/1888/what-time-is-the-lunar-eclipse-2010-tonight/ |archive-date=22 December 2010 }}

Likewise much of Europe and Africa experienced moon-set while the eclipse was in progress. In Europe, only those observers in northern Scandinavia (including Iceland), Ireland and Britain could observe the entire event. For observers in eastern Asia the moon rose in eclipse. The eclipse was not visible from southern and eastern Africa, the Middle East or South Asia. In Japan and northeastern Asia, the eclipse's end was visible, with the moon rising at sunset. In the Philippines it was observable as a partial lunar eclipse just after sunset.

Predictions suggested that the total eclipse may appear unusually orange or red, as a result of the eruption of Mount Merapi in Indonesia on 26 October.{{cite news | url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_16899709 | title=A historic eclipse: Volcano will tint the moon in rare Dec. 21 celestial dance | first=Chris | last=Roberts | newspaper=El Paso Times | archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120729023005/http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_16899709 | archivedate=29 July 2012}}

class=wikitable \|+ Local times of eclipse over North America !Event !HAST (UTC-10) !AKST (UTC−9) !PST (UTC−8) !MST (UTC−7) !CST (UTC−6) !EST (UTC−5) !AST (UTC−4) !UTC (UTC)
Start penumbral (P1) \| style="background:#e0ffff;"\| 7:29 pm^() \| style="background:#e0ffff;"\| 8:29 pm^() \| style="background:#e0ffff;"\| 9:29 pm^() \| style="background:#e0ffff;"\| 10:29 pm^() \| style="background:#e0ffff;"\| 11:29 pm^(*) \| 12:29 am \| 1:29 am \| 5:29 am
Start umbral (U1) \| style="background:#e0ffff;"\| 8:33 pm^() \| style="background:#e0ffff;"\| 9:33 pm^() \| style="background:#e0ffff;"\| 10:33 pm^() \| style="background:#e0ffff;"\| 11:33 pm^() \| 12:33 am \| 1:33 am \| 2:33 am \| 6:33 am
Start total (U2) \| style="background:#e0ffff;"\| 9:41 pm^() \| style="background:#e0ffff;"\| 10:41 pm^() \| style="background:#e0ffff;"\| 11:41 pm^(*) \| 12:41 am \| 1:41 am \| 2:41 am \| 3:41 am \| 7:41 am
Greatest eclipse \| style="background:#e0ffff;"\| 10:17 pm^() \| style="background:#e0ffff;"\| 11:17 pm^() \| 12:17 am \| 1:17 am \| 2:17 am \| 3:17 am \| 4:17 am \| 8:17 am
End total (U3) \| style="background:#e0ffff;"\| 10:53 pm^() \| style="background:#e0ffff;"\| 11:53 pm^() \| 12:53 am \| 1:53 am \| 2:53 am \| 3:53 am \| 4:53 am \| 8:53 am
End umbral (U4) \| 12:01 am \| 1:01 am \| 2:01 am \| 3:01 am \| 4:01 am \| 5:01 am \| 6:01 am \| 10:01 am
End penumbral (P4) \| 1:04 am \| 2:04 am \| 3:04 am \| 4:04 am \| 5:04 am \| 6:04 am \| 7:04 am \| 11:04 am
colspan="9" style="text-align:center; background:#e0ffff;"\|(*) before midnight on Monday night, 20 December

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|+ Local times of eclipse over North America

!Event

!HAST
(UTC-10)

!AKST
(UTC−9)

!PST
(UTC−8)

!MST
(UTC−7)

!CST
(UTC−6)

!EST
(UTC−5)

!AST
(UTC−4)

!UTC
(UTC)

Start penumbral (P1)

| style="background:#e0ffff;"| 7:29 pm^(*)

| style="background:#e0ffff;"| 8:29 pm^(*)

| style="background:#e0ffff;"| 9:29 pm^(*)

| style="background:#e0ffff;"| 10:29 pm^(*)

| style="background:#e0ffff;"| 11:29 pm^(*)

| 12:29 am

| 1:29 am

| 5:29 am

Start umbral (U1)

| style="background:#e0ffff;"| 8:33 pm^(*)

| style="background:#e0ffff;"| 9:33 pm^(*)

| style="background:#e0ffff;"| 10:33 pm^(*)

| style="background:#e0ffff;"| 11:33 pm^(*)

| 12:33 am

| 1:33 am

| 2:33 am

| 6:33 am

Start total (U2)

| style="background:#e0ffff;"| 9:41 pm^(*)

| style="background:#e0ffff;"| 10:41 pm^(*)

| style="background:#e0ffff;"| 11:41 pm^(*)

| 12:41 am

| 1:41 am

| 2:41 am

| 3:41 am

| 7:41 am

Greatest eclipse

| style="background:#e0ffff;"| 10:17 pm^(*)

| style="background:#e0ffff;"| 11:17 pm^(*)

| 12:17 am

| 1:17 am

| 2:17 am

| 3:17 am

| 4:17 am

| 8:17 am

End total (U3)

| style="background:#e0ffff;"| 10:53 pm^(*)

| style="background:#e0ffff;"| 11:53 pm^(*)

| 12:53 am

| 1:53 am

| 2:53 am

| 3:53 am

| 4:53 am

| 8:53 am

End umbral (U4)

| 12:01 am

| 1:01 am

| 2:01 am

| 3:01 am

| 4:01 am

| 5:01 am

| 6:01 am

| 10:01 am

End penumbral (P4)

| 1:04 am

| 2:04 am

| 3:04 am

| 4:04 am

| 5:04 am

| 6:04 am

| 7:04 am

| 11:04 am

colspan="9" style="text-align:center; background:#e0ffff;"|(*) before midnight on Monday night, 20 December

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 2010 Dec 21|url=https://eclipsewise.com/lunar/LEprime/2001-2100/LE2010Dec21Tprime.html|publisher=EclipseWise.com|access-date=15 November 2024}}

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|+December 21, 2010 Lunar Eclipse Parameters

! Parameter

! Value

Penumbral Magnitude

| 2.28215

Umbral Magnitude

| 1.25759

Gamma

| 0.32139

Sun Right Ascension

| 17h57m09.6s

Sun Declination

| -23°26'09.9"

Sun Semi-Diameter

| 16'15.5"

Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

| 08.9"

Moon Right Ascension

| 05h57m17.3s

Moon Declination

| +23°44'47.8"

Moon Semi-Diameter

| 15'52.1"

Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

| 0°58'14.3"

ΔT

| 66.4 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 2010–January 2011

! December 21
Descending node (full moon)
!! January 4
Ascending node (new moon)

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| Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 125

Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 151

Related eclipses

= Eclipses in 2010 =

An annular solar eclipse on January 15.
A partial lunar eclipse on June 26.
A total solar eclipse on July 11.
A total lunar eclipse on December 21.

= Metonic =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 3, 2007
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 8, 2014

= Tzolkinex =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 9, 2003
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 31, 2018

= Half-Saros =

Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 14, 2001
Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 26, 2019

= Tritos =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 21, 2000
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 19, 2021

= Lunar Saros 125 =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 9, 1992
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 31, 2028

= Inex =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 10, 1982
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 30, 2039

= Triad =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 20, 1924
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 21, 2097

= Lunar eclipses of 2009–2013 =

= Metonic series =

= Saros 125 =

= 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 annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 132.

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Notes

External links

[http://www.spacedex.com/lunar-eclipse/ Worldwide viewing times for the December 2010 Total Lunar Eclipse]
[http://www.nyip.com/ezine/outdoors/eclipse.html How to Photograph the Lunar Eclipse from the NY Institute of Photography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714220146/http://www.nyip.com/ezine/outdoors/eclipse.html |date=14 July 2011 }}
{{cite web | url=https://www.techdreams.org/general/full-last-lunar-eclipse-of-2010-on-december-21st/5120-20101212 | title=Full & Last Lunar Eclipse Of 2010 On December 21st | publisher=Tech Dreams | date=12 December 2010 | access-date=30 July 2020}}
{{LEplot2001 link|2010|Dec|21|T}}
[http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OH2010.html#LE2010Dec21T NASA: Eclipses During 2010 2010 Dec 21: Total Lunar Eclipse]
{{cite web | url=http://www.hermit.org/Eclipse/2010-12-21 | title=Total Lunar Eclipse of 21 Dec, 2010 AD | publisher=hermit.org | access-date=30 July 2020}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20100813154543/http://www.shadowandsubstance.com/2010%201221%20lun%20ecl/20101221b0625.swf "Animation of the December 21, 2010 eclipse"] at shadowandsubstance.com
[http://www.astrosociety.org/eclipse/ Astronomical Society of the Pacific eclipse times and questions & answers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101223084228/http://www.astrosociety.org/eclipse/ |date=23 December 2010 }}
{{cite web | url=https://www.spaceweather.com/eclipses/gallery_21dec10.htm | publisher=Spaceweather.com | title=Total Lunar Eclipse: Dec. 21, 2010 | access-date=30 July 2020 }}
[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12039683]

2010-12

Category:2010 in science

Category:December 2010

December 2010 lunar eclipse

Visibility

Images

Gallery

Timing

Eclipse details

Eclipse season

Related eclipses

= Eclipses in 2010 =

= Metonic =

= Tzolkinex =

= Half-Saros =

= Tritos =

= Lunar Saros 125 =

= Inex =

= Triad =

= Lunar eclipses of 2009–2013 =

= Metonic series =

= Saros 125 =

= Tritos series =

= Inex series =

= Half-Saros cycle =

See also

Notes

External links