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September 1996 lunar eclipse

September 1996 lunar eclipse
Total eclipse
The mid-infrared image of the Moon taken by the SPIRIT-III instrument aboard the orbiting Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) satellite.
DateSeptember 27, 1996
Gamma0.3426
Magnitude1.2395
Saros cycle127 (41 of 72)
Totality69 minutes, 12 seconds
Partiality203 minutes, 17 seconds
Penumbral320 minutes, 52 seconds
Contacts (UTC)
P10:13:59
U11:12:43
U22:19:46
Greatest2:54:22
U33:28:57
U44:35:59
P45:34:51

A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Friday, September 27, 1996,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.2395. 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 2.2 days after perigee (on September 24, 1996, at 22:40 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[2]

This lunar eclipse was the second of an almost tetrad, with the others being on April 4, 1996 (total); March 24, 1997 (partial); and September 16, 1997 (total).

Visibility

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The eclipse was completely visible over eastern North America, South America, western Europe, and west Africa, seen rising over western North America and the eastern and central Pacific Ocean and setting over eastern Europe, central and east Africa, and the western half of Asia.[3]

Mid-infrared image of the Moon

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During its totality, the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) satellite's SPIRIT-III instrument took the image of the Moon in mid-infrared. At these wavelengths, MSX was able to characterize the thermal (heat) distribution of the lunar surface during the eclipse. The brightest regions are the warmest, and the darkest areas are the coolest. The well-known crater Tycho is the bright object to the south of center. Numerous other craters are also seen as bright spots, indicating that their temperature is higher than in the surrounding dark mare.[4]

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.[5]

September 27, 1996 Lunar Eclipse Parameters
Parameter Value
Penumbral Magnitude 2.21885
Umbral Magnitude 1.23953
Gamma 0.34264
Sun Right Ascension 12h15m43.1s
Sun Declination -01°42'06.3"
Sun Semi-Diameter 15'57.5"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.8"
Moon Right Ascension 00h15m18.1s
Moon Declination +02°01'37.4"
Moon Semi-Diameter 16'17.8"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°59'48.4"
ΔT 62.1 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 September–October 1996
September 27
Descending node (full moon)
 October 12
Ascending node (new moon)
Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 127		 Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 153
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Eclipses in 1996

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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 127

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Inex

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Triad

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Lunar eclipses of 1995–1998

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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.[6]

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 127

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This eclipse is a part of Saros series 127, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, and containing 72 events. The series started with a penumbral lunar eclipse on July 9, 1275. It contains partial eclipses from November 4, 1473 through May 18, 1780; total eclipses from May 29, 1798 through November 9, 2068; and a second set of partial eclipses from November 20, 2086 through June 17, 2429. The series ends at member 72 as a penumbral eclipse on September 2, 2555.

The longest duration of totality was produced by member 35 at 101 minutes, 46 seconds on July 23, 1888. All eclipses in this series occur at the Moon’s descending node of orbit.[7]

Greatest First
The greatest eclipse of the series occurred on 1888 Jul 23, lasting 101 minutes, 46 seconds.[8] Penumbral Partial Total Central
1275 Jul 09
 1473 Nov 04
 1798 May 29
 1834 Jun 21
Last
Central Total Partial Penumbral
1960 Sep 05
 2068 Nov 09
 2429 Jun 17
 2555 Sep 02

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).[9] This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 134.

September 23, 1987 October 3, 2005

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "September 26–27, 1996 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 1996 Sep 27" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  4. ^ NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day: Eclipsed Moon in Infrared (8 November 2003)
  5. ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 1996 Sep 27". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "NASA - Catalog of Lunar Eclipses of Saros 127". eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov.
  8. ^ Listing of Eclipses of series 127
  9. ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
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