September 1997 lunar eclipse

September 1997 lunar eclipse
Total eclipse
The Moon's hourly motion shown right to left
DateSeptember 16, 1997
Gamma−0.3768
Magnitude1.1909
Saros cycle137 (27 of 81)
Totality61 minutes, 31 seconds
Partiality196 minutes, 26 seconds
Penumbral308 minutes, 14 seconds
Contacts (UTC)
P116:12:32
U117:08:25
U218:15:54
Greatest18:46:39
U319:17:24
U420:24:52
P421:20:46

A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Tuesday, September 16, 1997,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.1909. 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 only about 2.5 hours after perigee (on September 16, 1997, at 16:20 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[2]

This lunar eclipse was the last of an almost tetrad, with the others being on April 4, 1996 (total); September 27, 1996 (total); and March 24, 1997 (partial).

Visibility

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

Eclipse details

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

September 16, 1997 Lunar Eclipse Parameters
Parameter Value
Penumbral Magnitude 2.14167
Umbral Magnitude 1.19094
Gamma −0.37684
Sun Right Ascension 11h37m42.6s
Sun Declination +02°24'38.0"
Sun Semi-Diameter 15'54.7"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7"
Moon Right Ascension 23h38m10.7s
Moon Declination -02°46'41.1"
Moon Semi-Diameter 16'44.2"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°01'25.5"
ΔT 62.7 s

Eclipse season

See also: Eclipse cycle

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 September 1997
September 2
Ascending node (new moon)
 September 16
Descending node (full moon)
Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 125		 Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 137

Eclipses in 1997

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Lunar Saros 137

Inex

Triad

  • Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 17, 1910
  • Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 17, 2084

Lunar eclipses of 1995–1998

This is the third of four lunar year eclipses at the descending node of the Moon's orbit. 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 August 8, 1998 occurs in the next lunar year eclipse set.

Lunar eclipse series sets from 1995 to 1998
Ascending node   Descending node
Saros Date
Viewing 		Type
Chart 		Gamma Saros Date
Viewing 		Type
Chart 		Gamma
112 1995 Apr 15
 Partial
 −0.9594 117 1995 Oct 08
 Penumbral
 1.1179
122
 1996 Apr 04
 Total
 −0.2534 127
 1996 Sep 27
 Total
 0.3426
132
 1997 Mar 24
 Partial
 0.4899 137 1997 Sep 16
 Total
 −0.3768
142 1998 Mar 13
 Penumbral
 1.1964 147 1998 Sep 06
 Penumbral
 −1.1058

Saros 137

This eclipse is a part of Saros series 137, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, and containing 78 events. The series started with a penumbral lunar eclipse on December 17, 1564. It contains partial eclipses from June 10, 1835 through August 26, 1961; total eclipses from September 6, 1979 through June 28, 2466; and a second set of partial eclipses from July 9, 2484 through September 12, 2592. The series ends at member 78 as a penumbral eclipse on April 20, 2953.

The longest duration of totality will be produced by member 44 at 99 minutes, 53 seconds on April 13, 2340. All eclipses in this series occur at the Moon’s descending node of orbit.[6]

Greatest First
The greatest eclipse of the series will occur on 2340 Apr 13, lasting 99 minutes, 53 seconds.[7] Penumbral Partial Total Central
1564 Dec 17
 1835 Jun 10
 1979 Sep 06
 2051 Oct 19
Last
Central Total Partial Penumbral
2412 May 26
 2466 Jun 28
 2592 Sep 12
 2953 Apr 20

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.

Half-Saros cycle

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 annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 144.

September 11, 1988 September 22, 2006

See also

References

  1. ^ "September 16–17, 1997 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)". timeanddate. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  2. ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  3. ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 1997 Sep 16" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  4. ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 1997 Sep 16". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  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 137". eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov.
  7. ^ Listing of Eclipses of series 137
  8. ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros