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Wikipedia / January 1981 lunar eclipse

A penumbral lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Tuesday, January 20, 1981, with an umbral magnitude of −0.0192. It was a relatively rare total penumbral lunar eclipse, with the Moon passing entirely within the penumbral shadow without entering the darker umbral shadow. 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 5.2 days after perigee (on January 15, 1981, at 3:35 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.

Visibility

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

Eclipse details

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

Parameter

Value

Penumbral Magnitude

1.01360

Umbral Magnitude

−0.01916

Gamma

−1.01421

Sun Right Ascension

20h09m28.4s

Sun Declination

-20°06'46.4"

Sun Semi-Diameter

16'15.2"

Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

08.9"

Moon Right Ascension

08h08m59.5s

Moon Declination

+19°08'35.7"

Moon Semi-Diameter

15'44.3"

Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax

0°57'45.5"

ΔT

51.4 s

January 20, 1981 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.

January 20Ascending node (full moon)

February 4Descending node (new moon)

Penumbral lunar eclipseLunar Saros 114

Annular solar eclipseSolar Saros 140

Eclipse season of January–February 1981

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 1981

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Lunar Saros 114

Inex

Triad

Lunar eclipses of 1980–1984

Saros 114

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 annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 121.

January 16, 1972

January 26, 1990

See also

Notes