A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Sunday, January 30, 1972, with an umbral magnitude of 1.0497. 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 6.6 days before apogee (on February 6, 1972, at 0:45 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over northeast Asia, western and central North America, and the central Pacific Ocean, seen rising over much of Asia and Australia and setting over eastern North America and South America.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+January 30, 1972 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.09866 Umbral Magnitude 1.04971 Gamma −0.42729 Sun Right Ascension 20h48m23.2s Sun Declination -17°50'13.7" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'14.2" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 08h47m46.4s Moon Declination +17°27'35.5" Moon Semi-Diameter 15'28.8" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°56'48.6" ΔT 42.3 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 1972 January 16Ascending node (new moon) January 30Descending node (full moon) Annular solar eclipseSolar Saros 121 Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 133
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1972 An annular solar eclipse on January 16. A total lunar eclipse on January 30. A total solar eclipse on July 10. A partial lunar eclipse on July 26.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 13, 1968 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 18, 1975
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 19, 1964 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 13, 1979
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 25, 1963 Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 4, 1981
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 2, 1961 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 30, 1982
Lunar Saros 133 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 19, 1954 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 9, 1990
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 20, 1943 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 9, 2001
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 30, 1885 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 30, 2058
Lunar eclipses of 1969–1973
Saros 133
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 140.
January 25, 1963February 4, 1981
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links