March 1978 lunar eclipse

{{Short description|Total lunar eclipse March 24, 1978}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}

{{Infobox lunar eclipse

| type = total

| image = Lunar eclipse chart close-1978Mar24.png

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

| date = March 24, 1978

| gamma = −0.2140

| magnitude = 1.4518

| saros_ser = 122

| saros_no = 54 of 75

| totality = 90 minutes, 40 seconds

| partiality = 218 minutes, 33 seconds

| penumbral = 344 minutes, 56 seconds

| p1 = 13:29:51

| u1 = 14:33:07

| u2 = 15:37:03

| greatest = 16:22:22

| u3 = 17:07:43

| u4 = 18:11:40

| p4 = 19:14:47

| previous = September 1977

| next = September 1978

}}

A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Friday, March 24, 1978,{{cite web|title=March 24–25, 1978 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/1978-march-24|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=4 January 2025}} with an umbral magnitude of 1.4518. 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. The Moon's apparent diameter was near the average diameter because it occurred 7.1 days after apogee (on March 17, 1978, at 14:25 UTC) and 6.6 days before perigee (on March 31, 1978, at 5:45 UTC).{{cite web|title=Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/distance.html?year=1978&n=136|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=4 January 2025}}