September 1950 lunar eclipse

{{Short description|Total lunar eclipse September 25, 1950}}

{{Infobox lunar eclipse

| type = total

| image = Lunar eclipse chart close-1950Sep26.png

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

| date = September 26, 1950

| gamma = 0.4101

| magnitude = 1.0783

| saros_ser = 136

| saros_no = 16 of 72

| totality = 44 minutes, 16 seconds

| partiality = 209 minutes, 45 seconds

| penumbral = 350 minutes, 4 seconds

| p1 = 1:21:43

| u1 = 2:31:48

| u2 = 3:54:33

| greatest = 4:16:42

| u3 = 4:38:49

| u4 = 6:01:33

| p4 = 7:11:47

| previous = April 1950

| next = February 1951

}}

A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Tuesday, September 26, 1950,{{cite web|title=September 25–26, 1950 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/1950-september-26|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=21 December 2024}} with an umbral magnitude of 1.0783. 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 5.1 days before apogee (on October 1, 1950, at 5:30 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=1950&n=136|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=21 December 2024}}

This lunar eclipse was the last of a tetrad, with four total lunar eclipses in series, the others being on April 13, 1949; October 7, 1949; and April 2, 1950.