A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Friday, January 21, 2000, with an umbral magnitude of 1.3246. 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 1.5 days after perigee (on January 19, 2000, at 17:50 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over most of North America, South America, and western Europe, seen rising over the Pacific Ocean and setting over Africa, Europe, and west Asia.
Hourly motion shown right to left
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+January 21, 2000 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.30601 Umbral Magnitude 1.32459 Gamma −0.29571 Sun Right Ascension 20h10m32.9s Sun Declination -20°03'20.2" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'15.2" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 08h10m24.0s Moon Declination +19°45'29.3" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'33.7" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°00'46.8" ΔT 63.8 s
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.
+ Eclipse season of January–February 2000 January 21Ascending node (full moon) February 5Descending node (new moon) Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 124 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 150
Related eclipses Eclipses in 2000 A total lunar eclipse on January 21. A partial solar eclipse on February 5. A partial solar eclipse on July 1. A total lunar eclipse on July 16. A partial solar eclipse on July 31. A partial solar eclipse on December 25.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 4, 1996 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 9, 2003
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 9, 1992 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 3, 2007
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 15, 1991 Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 26, 2009
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 20, 1989 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 21, 2010
Lunar Saros 124 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 9, 1982 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 31, 2018
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 10, 1971 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 31, 2028
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 22, 1913 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 20, 2086
Lunar eclipses of 1998–2002
Saros 124
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).Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 131. January 15, 1991January 26, 2009
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
References
External links Saros cycle 124