A penumbral lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Tuesday, December 20, 1983, with an umbral magnitude of −0.1167. 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 2.7 days before perigee (on December 22, 1983, at 18:25 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over much of North America, South America, Europe, much of Africa, and west and north Asia, seen rising over western North America and the eastern Pacific Ocean and setting over southeast Africa and central and south Asia.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+December 20, 1983 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 0.88903 Umbral Magnitude −0.11673 Gamma 1.07468 Sun Right Ascension 17h49m31.1s Sun Declination -23°25'11.7" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'15.5" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 05h48m58.9s Moon Declination +24°28'31.2" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'09.9" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°59'19.5" ΔT 53.7 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 December 1983 December 4Descending node (new moon) December 20Ascending node (full moon) Annular solar eclipseSolar Saros 132 Penumbral lunar eclipseLunar Saros 144
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1983 A total solar eclipse on June 11. A partial lunar eclipse on June 25. An annular solar eclipse on December 4. A penumbral lunar eclipse on December 20.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 1, 1980 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 7, 1987
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 6, 1976 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 30, 1991
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 13, 1974 Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 24, 1992
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 18, 1973 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 18, 1994
Lunar Saros 144 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 8, 1965 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 30, 2001
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 8, 1955 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 28, 2012
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 17, 1897 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 19, 2070
Lunar eclipses of 1980–1984
Saros 144
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 partial solar eclipses of Solar Saros 151. December 13, 1974December 24, 1992
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links