A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Thursday, September 6, 1979, with an umbral magnitude of 1.0936. 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 5 hours after perigee (on September 6, 1979, at 6:00 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over eastern Australia, western North America, and the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, seen rising over the eastern half of Asia and western Australia and setting over North and South America.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+September 6, 1979 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.04211 Umbral Magnitude 1.09358 Gamma −0.43050 Sun Right Ascension 10h58m17.1s Sun Declination +06°34'46.5" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'52.1" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7" Moon Right Ascension 22h58m48.1s Moon Declination -07°00'03.6" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'43.7" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°01'23.8" ΔT 50.2 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 August–September 1979 August 22Ascending node (new moon) September 6Descending node (full moon) Annular solar eclipseSolar Saros 125 Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 137
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1979 A total solar eclipse on February 26. A partial lunar eclipse on March 13. An annular solar eclipse on August 22. A total lunar eclipse on September 6.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 18, 1975 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 25, 1983
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 26, 1972 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 17, 1986
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 31, 1970 Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 11, 1988
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 6, 1968 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 6, 1990
Lunar Saros 137 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 26, 1961 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 16, 1997
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 26, 1950 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 16, 2008
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 4, 1892 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 7, 2066
Lunar eclipses of 1977–1980
Saros 137
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 144. August 31, 1970September 11, 1988
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses Solar eclipse of February 26, 1979
Notes
External links
September 6, 1979, a Lunar Eclipse