June 1946 lunar eclipse

{{Infobox lunar eclipse

| type = total

| image = Lunar eclipse chart close-1946Jun14.png

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

| date = June 14, 1946

| gamma = −0.2324

| magnitude = 1.3983

| saros_ser = 129

| saros_no = 34 of 71

| totality = 91 minutes, 9 seconds

| partiality = 229 minutes, 3 seconds

| penumbral = 369 minutes, 12 seconds

| p1 = 15:34:13

| u1 = 16:44:19

| u2 = 17:54:16

| greatest = 18:38:49

| u3 = 19:24:24

| u4 = 20:33:21

| p4 = 21:43:24

| previous = December 1945

| next = December 1946

}}

A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Friday, June 14, 1946,{{cite web|title=June 14–15, 1946 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/1946-june-14|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=20 December 2024}} with an umbral magnitude of 1.3983. It was a central lunar eclipse, in which part of the Moon passed through the center of the Earth's shadow. 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 1.8 days after apogee (on June 12, 1946, at 22:40 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=1946&n=136|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=20 December 2024}}

This was the first central lunar eclipse of Lunar Saros 129.

Visibility

The eclipse was completely visible over east Africa, central, south, and southeast Asia, western Australia, and Antarctica, seen rising over much of Africa, eastern South America, Europe, and west Asia and setting over northeast Asia and eastern Australia.{{cite web|title=Total Lunar Eclipse of 1946 Jun 14|url=https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEplot/LEplot1901/LE1946Jun14T.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 1946 Jun 14|url=https://eclipsewise.com/lunar/LEprime/1901-2000/LE1946Jun14Tprime.html|publisher=EclipseWise.com|access-date=20 December 2024}}

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|+June 14, 1946 Lunar Eclipse Parameters

! Parameter

! Value

Penumbral Magnitude

| 2.46538

Umbral Magnitude

| 1.39833

Gamma

| −0.23239

Sun Right Ascension

| 05h29m50.7s

Sun Declination

| +23°15'55.5"

Sun Semi-Diameter

| 15'44.7"

Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

| 08.7"

Moon Right Ascension

| 17h29m42.4s

Moon Declination

| -23°28'21.8"

Moon Semi-Diameter

| 14'45.4"

Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

| 0°54'09.4"

ΔT

| 27.6 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. The first and last eclipse in this sequence is separated by one synodic month.

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|+ Eclipse season of May–June 1946

! May 30
Ascending node (new moon) !! June 14
Descending node (full moon) !! June 29
Ascending node (new moon)

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| Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 117

Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 129

Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 155

Related eclipses

= Eclipses in 1946 =

= Metonic =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 26, 1942
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 2, 1950

= Tzolkinex =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 3, 1939
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 26, 1953

= Half-Saros =

Preceded by: Solar eclipse of June 8, 1937
Followed by: Solar eclipse of June 20, 1955

= Tritos =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 16, 1935
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 13, 1957

= Lunar Saros 129 =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 3, 1928
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 25, 1964

= Inex =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 4, 1917
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 25, 1975

= Triad =

Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 13, 1859
Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 14, 2033

= Lunar eclipses of 1944–1947 =

= Saros 129 =

= 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 136.

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