September 1996 lunar eclipse
{{Short description|Total lunar eclipse September 27, 1996}}
{{Infobox lunar eclipse
| type = total
| image = MSX moon.jpg
| caption = The mid-infrared image of the Moon taken by the SPIRIT-III instrument aboard the orbiting Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) satellite.
| date = September 27, 1996
| gamma = 0.3426
| magnitude = 1.2395
| saros_ser = 127
| saros_no = 41 of 72
| totality = 69 minutes, 12 seconds
| partiality = 203 minutes, 17 seconds
| penumbral = 320 minutes, 52 seconds
| p1 = 0:13:59
| u1 = 1:12:43
| u2 = 2:19:46
| greatest = 2:54:22
| u3 = 3:28:57
| u4 = 4:35:59
| p4 = 5:34:51
| previous = April 1996
| next = March 1997
}}
A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Friday, September 27, 1996,{{cite web|title=September 26–27, 1996 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/1996-september-27|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=9 January 2025}} with an umbral magnitude of 1.2395. 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 2.2 days after perigee (on September 24, 1996, at 22:40 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=1996&n=136|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=9 January 2025}}
This lunar eclipse was the second of an almost tetrad, with the others being on April 4, 1996 (total); March 24, 1997 (partial); and September 16, 1997 (total).
Visibility
The eclipse was completely visible over eastern North America, South America, western Europe, and west Africa, seen rising over western North America and the eastern and central Pacific Ocean and setting over eastern Europe, central and east Africa, and the western half of Asia.{{cite web|title=Total Lunar Eclipse of 1996 Sep 27|url=https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEplot/LEplot1951/LE1996Sep27T.pdf|publisher=NASA|access-date=9 January 2025}}
| class=wikitable |
Mid-infrared image of the Moon
During its totality, the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) satellite's SPIRIT-III instrument took the image of the Moon in mid-infrared. At these wavelengths, MSX was able to characterize the thermal (heat) distribution of the lunar surface during the eclipse. The brightest regions are the warmest, and the darkest areas are the coolest. The well-known crater Tycho is the bright object to the south of center. Numerous other craters are also seen as bright spots, indicating that their temperature is higher than in the surrounding dark mare.{{APOD |date=8 November 2003|title=Eclipsed Moon in Infrared}}
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 1996 Sep 27|url=https://eclipsewise.com/lunar/LEprime/1901-2000/LE1996Sep27Tprime.html|publisher=EclipseWise.com|access-date=9 January 2025}}
| class="wikitable" align="{{{align|left}}}" style="margin:{{#ifeq:{{{align}}}|right|0 0 0.5em 1em|0 1em 0.5em 0}}"
|+September 27, 1996 Lunar Eclipse Parameters ! Parameter ! Value |
| Penumbral Magnitude
| 2.21885 |
| Umbral Magnitude
| 1.23953 |
| Gamma
| 0.34264 |
| Sun Right Ascension
| 12h15m43.1s |
| Sun Declination
| -01°42'06.3" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter
| 15'57.5" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax
| 08.8" |
| Moon Right Ascension
| 00h15m18.1s |
| Moon Declination
| +02°01'37.4" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter
| 16'17.8" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax
| 0°59'48.4" |
| ΔT
| 62.1 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.
| class="wikitable"
|+ Eclipse season of September–October 1996 ! September 27 | |
| 200px | 200px |
| align=center
| Total lunar eclipse | Partial solar eclipse Solar Saros 153 |
Related eclipses
= Eclipses in 1996 =
- A total lunar eclipse on April 4.
- A partial solar eclipse on April 17.
- A total lunar eclipse on September 27.
- A partial solar eclipse on October 12.
= Metonic =
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 9, 1992
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 16, 2000
= Tzolkinex =
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 17, 1989
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 9, 2003
= Half-Saros =
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of September 23, 1987
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 3, 2005
= Tritos =
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 28, 1985
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 28, 2007
= Lunar Saros 127 =
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 16, 1978
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 8, 2014
= Inex =
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 18, 1967
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 7, 2025
= Triad =
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 27, 1909
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 29, 2083
= Lunar eclipses of 1995–1998 =
{{Lunar eclipse set 1995-1998}}
= Saros 127 =
{{Lunar Saros series 127}}
= Tritos series =
{{Lunar Tritos series August 2007}}
= Inex series =
{{Lunar Inex series September 2025}}
= 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 134.
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| 240px |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.hermit.org/eclipse/gen_stats.cgi?mode=query&page=full&qtype=type&body=L&saros=127 Saros cycle 127]
- {{LEplot1951 link|1996|Sep|27|T}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080927100508/http://www.kalmbach.com/astro/SkyEvents/LunarEclipse.html September 1996 lunar eclipse]
{{Lunar eclipses}}
{{commons category|Lunar eclipse of 1996 September 27}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lunar eclipse 1996-09}}