January 2018 lunar eclipse

{{Infobox lunar eclipse

| type = total

| image = Lunar eclipse January 31 2018 California Alfredo Garcia Jr mideclipse.jpg

| caption = Totality as viewed from Lomita, California

| date = January 31, 2018

| gamma = -0.3014

| magnitude = 1.3155

| saros_ser = 124

| saros_no = 49 of 74

| totality = 76 minutes, 4 seconds

| partiality = 202 minutes, 44 seconds

| penumbral = 317 minutes, 12 seconds

| p1 = 10:51:15

| u1 = 11:48:27

| u2 = 12:51:47

| greatest = 13:29:50

| u3 = 14:07:51

| u4 = 15:11:11

| p4 = 16:08:27

| previous = August 2017

| next = July 2018

}}

A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Wednesday, January 31, 2018,{{cite web|title=January 31–February 1, 2018 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2018-january-31|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=17 November 2024}} with an umbral magnitude of 1.3155. 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 1.4 days after perigee (on January 30, 2018, at 4:55 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=2018&n=136|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=17 November 2024}}

Because the Moon was near its perigee on January 30, it may be described as a "supermoon", when the Moon's distance from the Earth is less than 360,000 km (223,694 miles). The previous supermoon lunar eclipse was on September 28, 2015. The Moon was 360,202 km (223,819 mi) from the Earth. This eclipse also coincided with a blue moon, which occurs when there are two full moons in the same calendar month, or if there are four full moons in the same season (third of four is blue moon). As this supermoon was also a blue moon (the second full moon in a calendar month), it was referred to as a "super blue blood moon"; "blood" refers to the typical red color of the Moon during a total lunar eclipse. This event was called a 'Trifecta'.{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/super-blue-blood-moon-coming-jan-31 |title='Super Blue Blood Moon' Coming Jan. 31, 2018 |date=January 18, 2018 |publisher=NASA |access-date=February 1, 2018}} This coincidence last occurred on December 30, 1982 for the eastern hemisphere, Blue moon, based on the previous full moon, was either on November 30 or December 1, 1982, based on time zones. and otherwise before that on March 31, 1866.[https://web.archive.org/web/20180129221332/https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/super-blue-blood-moon-explained-space-astronomy-science/ Rare 'Super Blue Blood Moon' Coming—First in 35 Years], National Geographic, January 29, 2018{{cite web |last=Mathewson |first=Samantha |url=https://www.space.com/39532-super-blue-blood-moon-occurs-wednesday.html |title=The Super Blue Blood Moon Wednesday Is Something the US Hasn't Seen Since 1866 |website=Space.com |date=January 30, 2018 |access-date=February 1, 2018}} The next occurrence will be on January 31, 2037, one metonic cycle (19 years) later.

Background

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes within Earth's umbra (shadow). As the eclipse begins, Earth's shadow first darkens the Moon slightly. Then, the shadow begins to "cover" part of the Moon, turning it a dark red-brown color (typically – the color can vary based on atmospheric conditions). The Moon appears to be reddish because of Rayleigh scattering (the same effect that causes sunsets to appear reddish) and the refraction of that light by Earth's atmosphere into its umbra.{{cite web |title=Visual Appearance of Lunar Eclipses |work=NASA |author=Fred Espenak |author2=Jean Meeus|name-list-style=amp |url=http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEcat5/appearance.html |access-date=April 13, 2014}}

The following simulation shows the approximate appearance of the Moon passing through Earth's shadow. The northern portion of the Moon is closest to the center of the shadow, making it darkest and reddest in appearance.

480px

= "Super blue blood moon" =

This was a "supermoon", as the Moon was near to its closest distance to earth in its elliptical orbit, making it 7% larger in apparent diameter or 14% larger in area, than an average full moon. The previous supermoon lunar eclipse was during the September 2015 lunar eclipse.[http://earthsky.org/tonight/super-blue-moon-eclipse-on-january-31 Super Blue Moon eclipse on January 31], Earthsky.org, January 30 2018

The full moon of January 31, 2018 was the second full moon that calendar month (in most time zones), making it, under one definition of the term, a "blue moon".

Additionally referencing the orange or red "blood" colors that occur during a lunar eclipse, media sources described the event as a "super blue blood Moon".{{cite news |last1=Gill |first1=Victoria |title=Skywatchers see 'super blue blood Moon' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42817785 |access-date=1 February 2018 |work=BBC News |date=31 January 2018}}

Characteristics

= Visibility =

The Pacific Ocean was turned toward the Moon at the time of the eclipse. Central and eastern Asia (including most of Siberia), Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand and most of Australia got a good view of this moon show in the evening sky. For Western Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, the eclipse was underway as the moon rose.{{Cite news |last=Rao |first=Joe |url=https://www.space.com/39241-first-blue-moon-total-eclipse-150-years.html |title=First Blue Moon Total Lunar Eclipse in 150 Years Coming This Month |website=Space.com |access-date=2018-01-02}}

Along the U.S. West Coast, the total phase began at 4:51 a.m. PST. The further east, the closer the start of the partial phases coincided with moonset. Along the U.S. Atlantic Seaboard, for instance, the Moon had only just begun to enter the darkest part of Earth's shadow, the umbra, at 6:48 a.m. EST when it disappeared from view below the west-northwest horizon. The duration of the total phase was 77 minutes, with the Moon tracking through the southern part of the Earth's shadow. During totality, the Moon's lower limb appeared brighter than the dark upper limb.

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|315px 315px

align=center

|640px
Visibility map

= Timing =

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|+Event timing by time zone

!Eclipse

!HST

!AKST

!PST

!MST

!CST

!EST

!UTC

!MSK

!IST

!ICT

!CST

!JST

!AEDT

!NZDT

align=left

!Zone from UTC

! −10 h

! −9 h

! −8 h

! −7 h

! −6 h

! −5 h

! 0 h

! +3 h

! +5½ h

! +7 h

! +8 h

! +9 h

! +11 h

! +13 h

Penumbral eclipse begins

|00:51

|01:51

|02:51

|03:51

|04:51

|05:51

!10:51

|13:51

| —

|17:51

|18:51

|19:51

|21:51

|23:51

Partial eclipse begins

|01:48

|02:48

|03:48

|04:48

|05:48

|06:48

!11:48

|14:48

|17:18

|18:48

|19:48

|20:48

|22:48

|00:48

Total eclipse begins

|02:52

|03:52

|04:52

|05:52

|06:52

| —

!12:52

|15:52

|18:22

|19:52

|20:52

|21:52

|23:52

|01:52

Mid-eclipse

|03:30

|04:30

|05:30

|06:30

| —

!13:30

|16:30

|19:00

|20:30

|21:30

|22:30

|00:30

|02:30

|Total eclipse ends

|04:08

|05:08

|06:08

|07:08

| —

!14:08

|17:08

|19:38

|21:08

|22:08

|23:08

|01:08

|03:08

Partial eclipse ends

|05:11

|06:11

|07:11

| —

!15:11

|18:11

|20:41

|22:11

|23:11

|00:11

|02:11

|04:11

Penumbral eclipse ends

|06:08

|07:08

| —

!16:08

|19:08

|21:38

|23:08

|00:08

|01:08

|03:08

|05:08

File:Lunar eclipse of 2018 January 31 (Montage s4).jpg|Example in Aichi Prefecture, Japan: {{olist |Penumbral lunar eclipse 20:23 (JST) |Partial lunar eclipse 21:13 (JST) |Partial lunar eclipse 21:43 (JST) |Total lunar eclipse (blood moon) 21:55 (JST)}}

Gallery

= North America =

File:MG 3167.CR2 (25133363417).jpg|Fayetteville, North Carolina, 11:36 UTC

File:180131-N-GO855-020 (40081843921).jpg|Partial from Naval Base Point Loma, California

File:Super Blue Blood Moon 2018 (26137638178).jpg|Melbourne, Florida, 12:00 UTC

File:January 31, 2018 lunar eclipse - Jacksonville FL.jpg|Jacksonville, Florida, 12:10 UTC

File:Partial Lunar Eclipse on 1-31-18 (26137564738).jpg|Macon, Georgia, 12:11 UTC

File:MX TV ECLIPSE DE LUNA, TULA (25198113237).jpg|Tula, Tamaulipas, 12:29 UTC

File:Lunar eclipse of 2018 January 31 in Houston (6).jpg|Houston, Texas, 12:41 UTC

File:20180131 125101000 iOS (39432379265).jpg|Dallas, Texas, 12:51 UTC

File:Lunar Eclipse 2018 1 31 (39105305775).jpg|Totality from Southern California, 12:58 UTC

File:Lunar eclipse of 2018 January 31 in Denver.JPG|Denver, Colorado, 12:59 UTC

File:In-camera double exposure Super Blue Blood Moon at Roosevelt Arch (40004267771).jpg|Yellowstone National Park, 13:03 UTC

File:Bloodmoon (25136519267).jpg|Placitas, New Mexico, 13:35 UTC

File:Super Blue Blood Moon (28224587179).jpg|Redwood City, California, 13:43 UTC

File:Exsanguination (39982933632).jpg|Novato, California, 14:13 UTC

File:Trifecta-Exit-Dawn-01-31-18.jpg|Landers, California at dawn

File:Trifecta Morning Mountain Moonset 01-31-2018.jpg|Joshua Tree, California

= Asia and Middle East =

File:Amazing Super Blue Blood Moon 2018.jpg|Partial from Ilagan, Isabela

File:Lunar eclipse (26131047528).jpg|Hiroshima, Japan, 11:43 UTC

File:2018年1月31日の皆既月食 1.jpg|Shinjyuku, Tokyo, 12:52 UTC

File:Lunar eclipse in Chiang Mai January 31 2018 B2P1260650.jpg|Chiang Mai, Thailand, 12:57 UTC

File:Super blue blood moon (40004200211).jpg|Chōfu, Tokyo, 13:22 UTC

File:Lunar eclipse 31 January 2018 21 50 57 Guangzhou China.jpg|Guangzhou, China, 13:50 UTC

File:January 2018 Lunar Eclipse.jpg|Kerala, India, 14:03 UTC

File:2018 01 31`5731-5750`v05`4500px (40190126321).jpg|Novosibirsk, Russia, 14:06 UTC

File:Lunar eclipse in George Town, Penang on 31 January 2018.jpg|George Town, Malaysia, 14:16 UTC

File:DSC 0179 Super Blue Blood Moon (39106943665).jpg|Singapore, 14:32 UTC

File:Eclipse and Super blue blood moon 31.01.2018 DSCN9664.jpg|From Kuwait at moonrise, 15:03 UTC

File:Partial Lunar Eclipse of January 31st, 2018.jpg|Nanjing, China, 15:10 UTC

File:Кровавая Луна.jpg|From Russian Far East

= Oceania =

File:Lunar Eclipse (39971126492).jpg|Lake Wendouree, Victoria, 12:40 UTC

File:2018.01.31.23.49.24-Lunar eclipse (39865858205).jpg|Sydney, Australia, 12:49 UTC

File:20180201 Chelsea, total lunar eclipse 4.jpg|Chelsea, Victoria, 13:44 UTC

Eclipse details

Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.{{cite web|title=Total Lunar Eclipse of 2018 Jan 31|url=https://eclipsewise.com/lunar/LEprime/2001-2100/LE2018Jan31Tprime.html|publisher=EclipseWise.com|access-date=17 November 2024}}

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|+January 31, 2018 Lunar Eclipse Parameters

! Parameter

! Value

Penumbral Magnitude

| 2.29538

Umbral Magnitude

| 1.31671

Gamma

| −0.30143

Sun Right Ascension

| 20h56m18.8s

Sun Declination

| -17°17'47.0"

Sun Semi-Diameter

| 16'14.0"

Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

| 08.9"

Moon Right Ascension

| 08h56m05.0s

Moon Declination

| +16°59'44.2"

Moon Semi-Diameter

| 16'35.2"

Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

| 1°00'52.6"

ΔT

| 68.8 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 January–February 2018

! January 31
Ascending node (full moon)
!! February 15
Descending node (new moon)

200px

align=center

| Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 124

Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 150

Related eclipses

= Eclipses in 2018 =

A total lunar eclipse on January 31.
A partial solar eclipse on February 15.
A partial solar eclipse on July 13.
A total lunar eclipse on July 27.
A partial solar eclipse on August 11.

= Metonic =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 15, 2014
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 19, 2021

= Tzolkinex =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 21, 2010
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 14, 2025

= Half-Saros =

Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 26, 2009
Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 6, 2027

= Tritos =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 3, 2007
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 31, 2028

= Lunar Saros 124 =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 21, 2000
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 11, 2036

= Inex =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 20, 1989
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 12, 2047

= Triad =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 2, 1931
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 2, 2104

= Lunar eclipses of 2016–2020 =

= 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 annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 131.

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