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Wikipedia / December 1973 lunar eclipse

A partial lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Monday, December 10, 1973, with an umbral magnitude of 0.1007. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A partial lunar eclipse occurs when one part of the Moon is in the Earth's umbra, while the other part is in 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 only about 21 hours before perigee (on December 10, 1973, at 22:20 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.

This eclipse was the last of four lunar eclipses in 1973, with the others occurring on January 18 (penumbral), June 15 (penumbral), and July 15 (penumbral).

Visibility

The eclipse was completely visible over much of North and South America, Africa, Europe, and west and north Asia, seen rising over western North America and the eastern Pacific Ocean and setting over southeast Africa and much of Asia.

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

1.07597

Umbral Magnitude

0.10069

Gamma

0.96441

Sun Right Ascension

17h07m12.8s

Sun Declination

-22°53'16.9"

Sun Semi-Diameter

16'14.5"

Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

08.9"

Moon Right Ascension

05h07m14.5s

Moon Declination

+23°52'13.3"

Moon Semi-Diameter

16'39.2"

Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

1°01'07.2"

ΔT

44.3 s

December 10, 1973 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 10Descending node (full moon)

December 24Ascending node (new moon)

Partial lunar eclipseLunar Saros 115

Annular solar eclipseSolar Saros 141

Eclipse season of December 1973

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 1973

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Lunar Saros 115

Inex

Triad

Lunar eclipses of 1973–1976

Saros 115

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 partial solar eclipses of Solar Saros 122.

December 4, 1964

December 15, 1982

See also

Notes