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April 1986 lunar eclipse

April 1986 lunar eclipse
Total eclipse
The Moon's hourly motion shown right to left
DateApril 24, 1986
Gamma−0.3683
Magnitude1.2022
Saros cycle131 (32 of 72)
Totality63 minutes, 35 seconds
Partiality198 minutes, 45 seconds
Penumbral312 minutes, 37 seconds
Contacts (UTC)
P110:06:16
U111:03:13
U212:10:48
Greatest12:42:35
U313:14:23
U414:21:58
P415:18:53

A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Thursday, April 24, 1986,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.2022. 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 1.25 days before perigee (on April 25, 1986, at 18:40 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[2]

This lunar eclipse was the third of a tetrad, with four total lunar eclipses in series, the others being on May 4, 1985; October 28, 1985; and October 17, 1986.

Visibility

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The eclipse was completely visible over Australia, east and northeast Asia, Antarctica, and the western and central Pacific Ocean, seen rising over much of Asia and setting over North America and western South America.[3]

Eclipse details

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

April 24, 1986 Lunar Eclipse Parameters
Parameter Value
Penumbral Magnitude 2.16203
Umbral Magnitude 1.20217
Gamma −0.36826
Sun Right Ascension 02h07m09.8s
Sun Declination +12°52'05.8"
Sun Semi-Diameter 15'54.1"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7"
Moon Right Ascension 14h06m30.3s
Moon Declination -13°12'18.9"
Moon Semi-Diameter 16'34.0"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°00'48.0"
ΔT 55.0 s

Eclipse season

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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 April 1986
April 9
Ascending node (new moon)
 April 24
Descending node (full moon)
Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 119		 Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 131
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Eclipses in 1986

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Metonic

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Tzolkinex

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Half-Saros

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Tritos

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Lunar Saros 131

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Inex

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Triad

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Lunar eclipses of 1984–1987

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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 June 13, 1984 occurs in the previous lunar year eclipse set.

Lunar eclipse series sets from 1984 to 1987
Descending node   Ascending node
Saros Date
Viewing 		Type
Chart 		Gamma Saros Date
Viewing 		Type
Chart 		Gamma
111 1984 May 15
 Penumbral
 1.1131 116 1984 Nov 08
 Penumbral
 −1.0900
121 1985 May 04
 Total
 0.3520 126 1985 Oct 28
 Total
 −0.4022
131 1986 Apr 24
 Total
 −0.3683 136 1986 Oct 17
 Total
 0.3189
141 1987 Apr 14
 Penumbral
 −1.1364 146 1987 Oct 07
 Penumbral
 1.0189

Metonic series

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This eclipse is the third of four Metonic cycle lunar eclipses on the same date, April 23–24, each separated by 19 years:

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 in nearly the same location relative to the background stars.

Metonic lunar eclipse sets 1948–2005
Descending node   Ascending node
Saros Date Type Saros Date Type
111 1948 Apr 23 Partial 116 1948 Oct 18 Penumbral
121 1967 Apr 24 Total 126 1967 Oct 18 Total
131 1986 Apr 24 Total 136 1986 Oct 17 Total
141 2005 Apr 24 Penumbral 146 2005 Oct 17 Partial

Saros 131

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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.[6]

Greatest First

The greatest eclipse of the series will occur on 2094 Jun 28, lasting 100 minutes, 36 seconds.[7] 		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.

Half-Saros cycle

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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 138.

April 18, 1977 April 29, 1995

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "April 24–25, 1986 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)". timeanddate. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  2. ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  3. ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 1986 Apr 24" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  4. ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 1986 Apr 24". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 6 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 131". eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov.
  7. ^ Listing of Eclipses of series 131
  8. ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
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