May 2022 lunar eclipse
| Total eclipse | |||||||||||||||||
_(cropped).jpg) Totality as viewed from Irvine, California, 4:44 UTC | |||||||||||||||||
| Date | May 16, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamma | −0.2532 | ||||||||||||||||
| Magnitude | 1.4155 | ||||||||||||||||
| Saros cycle | 131 (34 of 72) | ||||||||||||||||
| Totality | 84 minutes, 53 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Partiality | 207 minutes, 14 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Penumbral | 318 minutes, 40 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Monday, May 16, 2022,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.4155. 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. Occurring about 1.3 days after perigee (on May 17, 2022, at 11:30 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[2]
Because this event occurred near lunar perigee, it was referred to some in media coverage as a "super flower blood moon"[Note 1][3][4][5] and elsewhere as a "super blood moon",[6][7][8] a supermoon that coincides with a total lunar eclipse. This was the longest total lunar eclipse visible from nearly all of North America since August 17, 1989 until the next eclipse on November 8.[9][10]
The eclipse was a dark one with the northern limb of the Moon passing through the center of Earth's shadow. This was the first central eclipse of Lunar Saros 131.
This lunar eclipse was the third of an almost tetrad, with the others being on May 26, 2021 (total); November 19, 2021 (partial); and November 8, 2022 (total).
Visibility
[edit]The eclipse was completely visible over North and South America, seen rising over western North America and the central Pacific Ocean and setting over Europe and Africa.[11]
 
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 Visibility map |
Gallery
[edit]North and South America
[edit]-
Spring Hill, FL 10:45 UTC -
Los Angeles, CA at moonrise, 3:08 UTC -
Buenos Aires, Argentina, 3:26 UTC -
Minneapolis, MN, 3:34 UTC -
San Antonio, TX, 3:36 UTC -
Santa Ana, CA at 4:13 UTC -
Mexico City, Mexico, 4:15 UTC -
Greenville County, SC, 4:15 UTC -
Houston, TX, 4:16 UTC -
Sacramento, CA, 4:33 UTC -
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Eclipse progression as seen from Linden Hills, Minneapolis -
From Irvine, California at 4:44 UTC
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Europe
[edit]-
Eclipse progression as seen from Oria, Italy -
Berlin, Germany at moonset, 2:52 UTC -
Totality from Marseille, France -
Animation from Madrid, Spain
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Eclipse details
[edit]Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[12]
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Penumbral Magnitude | 2.37433 |
| Umbral Magnitude | 1.41545 |
| Gamma | −0.25323 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 03h31m49.5s |
| Sun Declination | +19°05'13.4" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 15'49.2" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.7" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 15h31m27.8s |
| Moon Declination | -19°19'40.4" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 16'29.9" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 1°00'33.1" |
| ΔT | 70.4 s |
Eclipse season
[edit]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.
| April 30 Ascending node (new moon) |
May 16 Descending node (full moon) |
|---|---|
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| Partial solar eclipse Solar Saros 119 |
Total lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 131 |
Related eclipses
[edit]Eclipses in 2022
[edit]- A partial solar eclipse on April 30.
- A total lunar eclipse on May 16.
- A partial solar eclipse on October 25.
- A total lunar eclipse on November 8.
Metonic
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 27, 2018
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 3, 2026
Tzolkinex
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 4, 2015
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 26, 2029
Half-Saros
[edit]- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of May 10, 2013
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of May 21, 2031
Tritos
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 15, 2011
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 14, 2033
Lunar Saros 131
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 4, 2004
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 26, 2040
Inex
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 4, 1993
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 26, 2051
Triad
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 16, 1935
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 17, 2109
Lunar eclipses of 2020–2023
[edit]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.[13]
The penumbral lunar eclipses on January 10, 2020 and July 5, 2020 occur in the previous lunar year eclipse set.
| Lunar eclipse series sets from 2020 to 2023 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Descending node | Ascending node | |||||||
| Saros | Date Viewing |
Type Chart |
Gamma | Saros | Date Viewing |
Type Chart |
Gamma | |
111
|
2020 Jun 05
|
Penumbral
|
1.2406 | 116
|
2020 Nov 30
|
Penumbral
|
−1.1309 | |
121
|
2021 May 26
|
Total
|
0.4774 | 126_(cropped).jpg)
|
2021 Nov 19
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Partial
|
−0.4553 | |
| 131
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2022 May 16
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Total
|
−0.2532 | 136
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2022 Nov 08
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Total
|
0.2570 | |
141
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2023 May 05
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Penumbral
|
−1.0350 | 146
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2023 Oct 28
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Partial
|
0.9472 | |
Metonic series
[edit]The Metonic cycle repeats nearly exactly every 19 years and represents a Saros cycle plus one lunar year. Because it occurs on the same calendar date, the Earth's shadow will be in nearly the same location relative to the background stars.
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Saros 131
[edit]This eclipse is a part of Saros series 131, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, and containing 72 events. The series started with a penumbral lunar eclipse on May 10, 1427. It contains partial eclipses from July 25, 1553 through March 22, 1932; total eclipses from April 2, 1950 through September 3, 2202; and a second set of partial eclipses from September 13, 2220 through April 9, 2563. The series ends at member 72 as a penumbral eclipse on July 7, 2707.
The longest duration of totality will be produced by member 38 at 100 minutes, 36 seconds on June 28, 2094. All eclipses in this series occur at the Moon’s descending node of orbit.[14]
| Greatest | First | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 The greatest eclipse of the series will occur on 2094 Jun 28, lasting 100 minutes, 36 seconds.[15] |
Penumbral | Partial | Total | Central |
| 1427 May 10 |
1553 Jul 25 |
1950 Apr 02
|
2022 May 16
| |
| Last | ||||
| Central | Total | Partial | Penumbral | |
| 2148 Jul 31 |
2202 Sep 03 |
2563 Apr 09 |
2707 Jul 07 | |
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.
| Series members 22–43 occur between 1801 and 2200: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 23 | 24 | |||
| 1806 Jan 05 | 1824 Jan 16 | 1842 Jan 26 | |||
| 25 | 26 | 27 | |||
| 1860 Feb 07 | 1878 Feb 17 | 1896 Feb 28 | |||
| 28 | 29 | 30 | |||
| 1914 Mar 12 | 1932 Mar 22 | 1950 Apr 02 | |||
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| 31 | 32 | 33 | |||
| 1968 Apr 13 | 1986 Apr 24 | 2004 May 04 | |||
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| 34 | 35 | 36 | |||
| 2022 May 16 | 2040 May 26 | 2058 Jun 06 | |||
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| 37 | 38 | 39 | |||
| 2076 Jun 17 | 2094 Jun 28 | 2112 Jul 09 | |||
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| 40 | 41 | 42 | |||
| 2130 Jul 21 | 2148 Jul 31 | 2166 Aug 11 | |||
| 43 | |||||
| 2184 Aug 21 | |||||
Tritos series
[edit]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 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1804 Jan 26 (Saros 111) |
1814 Dec 26 (Saros 112) |
1825 Nov 25 (Saros 113) |
1836 Oct 24 (Saros 114) |
1847 Sep 24 (Saros 115) | |||||
| 1858 Aug 24 (Saros 116) |
1869 Jul 23 (Saros 117) |
1880 Jun 22 (Saros 118) |
1891 May 23 (Saros 119) |
1902 Apr 22 (Saros 120) | |||||
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| 1913 Mar 22 (Saros 121) |
1924 Feb 20 (Saros 122) |
1935 Jan 19 (Saros 123) |
1945 Dec 19 (Saros 124) |
1956 Nov 18 (Saros 125) | |||||
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| 1967 Oct 18 (Saros 126) |
1978 Sep 16 (Saros 127) |
1989 Aug 17 (Saros 128) |
2000 Jul 16 (Saros 129) |
2011 Jun 15 (Saros 130) | |||||
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| 2022 May 16 (Saros 131) |
2033 Apr 14 (Saros 132) |
2044 Mar 13 (Saros 133) |
2055 Feb 11 (Saros 134) |
2066 Jan 11 (Saros 135) | |||||
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| 2076 Dec 10 (Saros 136) |
2087 Nov 10 (Saros 137) |
2098 Oct 10 (Saros 138) |
2109 Sep 09 (Saros 139) |
2120 Aug 09 (Saros 140) | |||||
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| 2131 Jul 10 (Saros 141) |
2142 Jun 08 (Saros 142) |
2153 May 08 (Saros 143) |
2164 Apr 07 (Saros 144) |
2175 Mar 07 (Saros 145) | |||||
| 2186 Feb 04 (Saros 146) |
2197 Jan 04 (Saros 147) | ||||||||
Half-Saros cycle
[edit]A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).[16] This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 138.
| May 10, 2013 | May 21, 2031 |
|---|---|
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See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ A full moon occurring in May has been termed a "Flower moon" in the US as recorded in the Old Farmer's Almanac.
References
[edit]- ^ "May 15–16, 2022 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)". timeanddate. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "Lunar Eclipse: What Does the Term 'Super Flower Blood Moon' Mean?". NBC Chicago. 15 May 2022. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Look up! "Super flower blood moon" lunar eclipse is coming Sunday night". Michigan Radio. 11 May 2022. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Elizabeth Howell (15 May 2022). "The Super Flower Blood Moon lunar eclipse of 2022 occurs tonight! Here's what to expect". Space.com. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Prest, Victoria (14 May 2022). "Rare 'super blood moon' and how to see it from Yorkshire". YorkshireLive. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Super blood moon to appear Sunday night: here's how to see it". SILive. 15 May 2022. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Reminder: You can see a 'super blood moon' Lunar Eclipse this weekend". Curiocity. 12 May 2022. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Elizabeth Howell (16 May 2022). "Super Flower Blood Moon of 2022, longest total lunar eclipse in 33 years, wows stargazers". Space.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Mann, Adam (15 May 2022). "A Total Lunar Eclipse in Prime-Time". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 2022 May 16" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 2022 May 16". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "NASA - Catalog of Lunar Eclipses of Saros 131". eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov.
- ^ Listing of Eclipses of series 131
- ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
External links
[edit]
- 2022 May 16 chart: Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA/GSFC
