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Wikipedia / December 1963 lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Monday, December 30, 1963, with an umbral magnitude of 1.3350. 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 1.5 days after perigee (on December 29, 1963, at 0:10 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.

Visibility

The eclipse was completely visible over northeast Asia and much of North America, seen rising over much of Asia and Australia and setting over eastern North America and South America.

Eclipse details

Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.

Parameter

Value

Penumbral Magnitude

2.32062

Umbral Magnitude

1.33504

Gamma

−0.28889

Sun Right Ascension

18h34m56.9s

Sun Declination

-23°12'00.5"

Sun Semi-Diameter

16'15.9"

Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

08.9"

Moon Right Ascension

06h34m59.9s

Moon Declination

+22°54'31.5"

Moon Semi-Diameter

16'30.2"

Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

1°00'34.1"

ΔT

35.1 s

December 30, 1963 Lunar Eclipse Parameters

Eclipse season

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.

December 30Ascending node (full moon)

January 14Descending node (new moon)

Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 124

Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 150

Eclipse season of December 1963–January 1964

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 1963

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Lunar Saros 124

Inex

Triad

Lunar eclipses of 1962–1965

Saros 124

Tritos series

Inex series

Half-Saros cycle

A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros). This lunar eclipse is related to two total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 131.

December 25, 1954

January 4, 1973

See also

Notes