A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Saturday, April 13, 1968, with an umbral magnitude of 1.1116. 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 1.1 days before perigee (on April 14, 1968, at 7:50 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
This lunar eclipse was the third of a tetrad, with four total lunar eclipses in series, the others being on April 24, 1967; October 18, 1967; and October 6, 1968.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over much of North America and South America, seen rising over northwestern North America and the central Pacific Ocean and setting over Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+April 13, 1968 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.07253 Umbral Magnitude 1.11164 Gamma −0.41732 Sun Right Ascension 01h26m19.6s Sun Declination +09°03'48.7" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'56.9" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.8" Moon Right Ascension 13h25m32.2s Moon Declination -09°26'23.0" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'35.8" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°00'54.7" ΔT 38.5 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 March–April 1968 March 28Ascending node (new moon) April 13Descending node (full moon) Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 119 Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 131
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1968 A partial solar eclipse on March 28. A total lunar eclipse on April 13. A total solar eclipse on September 22. A total lunar eclipse on October 6.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 25, 1964 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 30, 1972
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 2, 1961 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 25, 1975
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of April 8, 1959 Followed by: Solar eclipse of April 18, 1977
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 13, 1957 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 13, 1979
Lunar Saros 131 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 2, 1950 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 24, 1986
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 3, 1939 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 24, 1997
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 12, 1881 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 11, 2055
Lunar eclipses of 1966–1969
Saros 131
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 138. April 8, 1959April 18, 1977
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
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