September 1979 lunar eclipse
{{Short description|Total lunar eclipse September 6, 1979}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox lunar eclipse
| type = total
| image = Lunar eclipse chart close-1979Sep06.png
| caption = The Moon's hourly motion shown right to left
| date = September 6, 1979
| gamma = −0.4305
| magnitude = 1.0936
| saros_ser = 137
| saros_no = 26 of 81
| totality = 44 minutes, 25 seconds
| partiality = 191 minutes, 52 seconds
| penumbral = 305 minutes, 9 seconds
| p1 = 8:21:37
| u1 = 9:18:15
| u2 = 10:31:59
| greatest = 10:54:12
| u3 = 11:16:24
| u4 = 12:30:08
| p4 = 13:26:45
| previous = March 1979
| next = March 1980
}}
A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Thursday, September 6, 1979,{{cite web|title=September 5–6, 1979 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/1979-september-6|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=4 January 2025}} with an umbral magnitude of 1.0936. 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 only about 5 hours after perigee (on September 6, 1979, at 6:00 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=1979&n=136|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=4 January 2025}}
Visibility
The eclipse was completely visible over eastern Australia, western North America, and the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, seen rising over the eastern half of Asia and western Australia and setting over North and South America.{{cite web|title=Total Lunar Eclipse of 1979 Sep 06|url=https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEplot/LEplot1951/LE1979Sep06T.pdf|publisher=NASA|access-date=4 January 2025}}
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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 1979 Sep 06|url=https://eclipsewise.com/lunar/LEprime/1901-2000/LE1979Sep06Tprime.html|publisher=EclipseWise.com|access-date=4 January 2025}}
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|+September 6, 1979 Lunar Eclipse Parameters ! Parameter ! Value |
| Penumbral Magnitude
| 2.04211 |
| Umbral Magnitude
| 1.09358 |
| Gamma
| −0.43050 |
| Sun Right Ascension
| 10h58m17.1s |
| Sun Declination
| +06°34'46.5" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter
| 15'52.1" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax
| 08.7" |
| Moon Right Ascension
| 22h58m48.1s |
| Moon Declination
| -07°00'03.6" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter
| 16'43.7" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax
| 1°01'23.8" |
| ΔT
| 50.2 s |
{{clear}}
Eclipse season
{{See also|Eclipse cycle}}
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 August–September 1979 ! August 22 | |
| 200px | 200px |
| align=center
| Annular solar eclipse | Total lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 137 |
Related eclipses
= Eclipses in 1979 =
- A total solar eclipse on February 26.
- A partial lunar eclipse on March 13.
- An annular solar eclipse on August 22.
- A total lunar eclipse on September 6.
= Metonic =
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 18, 1975
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 25, 1983
= Tzolkinex =
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 26, 1972
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 17, 1986
= Half-Saros =
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 31, 1970
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 11, 1988
= Tritos =
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 6, 1968
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 6, 1990
= Lunar Saros 137 =
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 26, 1961
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 16, 1997
= Inex =
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 26, 1950
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 16, 2008
= Triad =
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 4, 1892
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 7, 2066
= Lunar eclipses of 1977–1980 =
{{Lunar eclipse set 1977-1980}}
= Saros 137 =
{{Lunar Saros series 137}}
= Tritos series =
{{Lunar Tritos series July 2001}}
= Inex series =
{{Lunar Inex series August 2008}}
= 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 144.
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See also
Notes
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{LEplot1951 link|1979|Sep|06|T}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20091019053631/http://www.carsoncity.k12.mi.us/~chuck_peirce/cs1.html September 6, 1979, a Lunar Eclipse]
{{Lunar eclipses}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lunar eclipse 1979-09}}