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March 2016 lunar eclipse

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March 2016 lunar eclipse
Penumbral eclipse
The hourly motion of the Moon shown right to left
DateMarch 23, 2016
Gamma1.1592
Magnitude−0.3107
Saros cycle142 (18 of 73)
Penumbral255 minutes, 21 seconds
Contacts (UTC)
P109:39:29
Greatest11:47:12
P413:54:50

A penumbral lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Wednesday, March 23, 2016,[1] with an umbral magnitude of −0.3107. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when part or all of the Moon's near side passes into the Earth's penumbra. 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. Occurring about 2 days before apogee (on March 25, 2016, at 10:15 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.[2]

Visibility

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The eclipse was completely visible over Australia and western North America, seen rising over much of Asia and setting over central and eastern North America and western South America.[3]


Hourly motion shown right to left

Visibility map

Eclipse details

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Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[4]

March 23, 2016 Lunar Eclipse Parameters
Parameter Value
Penumbral Magnitude 0.77585
Umbral Magnitude −0.31071
Gamma 1.15916
Sun Right Ascension 00h12m02.0s
Sun Declination +01°18'10.9"
Sun Semi-Diameter 16'02.7"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.8"
Moon Right Ascension 12h13m18.6s
Moon Declination -00°18'21.4"
Moon Semi-Diameter 14'46.0"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°54'11.6"
ΔT 68.0 s

Eclipse season

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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.

Eclipse season of March 2016
March 9
Descending node (new moon)
March 23
Ascending node (full moon)
Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 130
Penumbral lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 142
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Eclipses in 2016

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Metonic

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Tzolkinex

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Half-Saros

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Tritos

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Lunar Saros 142

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Inex

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Triad

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Lunar eclipses of 2013–2016

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This eclipse is a member of a semester series. An eclipse in a semester series of lunar eclipses repeats approximately every 177 days and 4 hours (a semester) at alternating nodes of the Moon's orbit.[5]

The penumbral lunar eclipse on May 25, 2013 occurs in the previous lunar year eclipse set, and the penumbral lunar eclipse on August 18, 2016 occurs in the next lunar year eclipse set.

Lunar eclipse series sets from 2013 to 2016
Ascending node   Descending node
Saros Date
Viewing
Type
Chart
Gamma Saros Date
Viewing
Type
Chart
Gamma
112
2013 Apr 25
Partial
−1.0121 117
2013 Oct 18
Penumbral
1.1508
122
2014 Apr 15
Total
−0.3017 127
2014 Oct 08
Total
0.3827
132
2015 Apr 04
Total
0.4460 137
2015 Sep 28
Total
−0.3296
142 2016 Mar 23
Penumbral
1.1592 147
2016 Sep 16
Penumbral
−1.0549

Saros 142

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This eclipse is a part of Saros series 142, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, and containing 73 events. The series started with a penumbral lunar eclipse on September 19, 1709. It contains partial eclipses from May 5, 2088 through July 10, 2196; total eclipses from July 22, 2214 through April 21, 2665; and a second set of partial eclipses from May 3, 2683 through July 29, 2827. The series ends at member 73 as a penumbral eclipse on November 17, 3007.

The longest duration of totality will be produced by member 34 at 103 minutes, 54 seconds on September 15, 2304. All eclipses in this series occur at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit.[6]

Greatest First
The greatest eclipse of the series will occur on 2304 Sep 15, lasting 103 minutes, 54 seconds.[7] Penumbral Partial Total Central
1709 Sep 19
2088 May 05
2214 Jul 22
2250 Aug 13
Last
Central Total Partial Penumbral
2448 Dec 10
2665 Apr 21
2827 Jul 29
3007 Nov 17

Eclipses are tabulated in three columns; every third eclipse in the same column is one exeligmos apart, so they all cast shadows over approximately the same parts of the Earth.

Tritos series

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This eclipse is a part of a tritos cycle, repeating at alternating nodes every 135 synodic months (≈ 3986.63 days, or 11 years minus 1 month). Their appearance and longitude are irregular due to a lack of synchronization with the anomalistic month (period of perigee), but groupings of 3 tritos cycles (≈ 33 years minus 3 months) come close (≈ 434.044 anomalistic months), so eclipses are similar in these groupings.

Series members between 1801 and 2200
1808 Nov 03
(Saros 123)
1819 Oct 03
(Saros 124)
1830 Sep 02
(Saros 125)
1841 Aug 02
(Saros 126)
1852 Jul 01
(Saros 127)
1863 Jun 01
(Saros 128)
1874 May 01
(Saros 129)
1885 Mar 30
(Saros 130)
1896 Feb 28
(Saros 131)
1907 Jan 29
(Saros 132)
1917 Dec 28
(Saros 133)
1928 Nov 27
(Saros 134)
1939 Oct 28
(Saros 135)
1950 Sep 26
(Saros 136)
1961 Aug 26
(Saros 137)
1972 Jul 26
(Saros 138)
1983 Jun 25
(Saros 139)
1994 May 25
(Saros 140)
2005 Apr 24
(Saros 141)
2016 Mar 23
(Saros 142)
2027 Feb 20
(Saros 143)
2038 Jan 21
(Saros 144)
2048 Dec 20
(Saros 145)
2059 Nov 19
(Saros 146)
2070 Oct 19
(Saros 147)
2081 Sep 18
(Saros 148)
2092 Aug 17
(Saros 149)
2103 Jul 19
(Saros 150)
2114 Jun 18
(Saros 151)
2125 May 17
(Saros 152)
2136 Apr 16
(Saros 153)
2169 Jan 13
(Saros 156)
2190 Nov 12
(Saros 158)

Half-Saros cycle

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A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).[8] This lunar eclipse is related to two partial solar eclipses of Solar Saros 149.

March 19, 2007 March 29, 2025

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "March 23, 2016 Penumbral Lunar Eclipse". timeanddate. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Penumbral Lunar Eclipse of 2016 Mar 23" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Penumbral Lunar Eclipse of 2016 Mar 23". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  5. ^ van Gent, R.H. "Solar- and Lunar-Eclipse Predictions from Antiquity to the Present". A Catalogue of Eclipse Cycles. Utrecht University. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  6. ^ "NASA - Catalog of Lunar Eclipses of Saros 142". eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov.
  7. ^ Listing of Eclipses of series 142
  8. ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
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