A partial lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Monday, August 17, 1970, with an umbral magnitude of 0.4080. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A partial lunar eclipse occurs when one part of the Moon is in the Earth's umbra, while the other part is in 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 only about 4 hours before perigee (on August 17, 1970, at 7:35 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over eastern North America, South America, west Africa, and Antarctica, seen rising over western North America and the central Pacific Ocean and setting over Europe, much of 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.
+August 17, 1970 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 1.35215 Umbral Magnitude 0.40797 Gamma −0.80534 Sun Right Ascension 09h44m32.9s Sun Declination +13°35'06.2" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'47.9" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7" Moon Right Ascension 21h45m58.7s Moon Declination -14°19'57.2" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'43.9" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°01'24.5" ΔT 40.8 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 August 1970 August 17Ascending node (full moon) August 31Descending node (new moon) Partial lunar eclipseLunar Saros 118 Annular solar eclipseSolar Saros 144
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1970 A partial lunar eclipse on February 21. A total solar eclipse on March 7. A partial lunar eclipse on August 17. An annular solar eclipse on August 31.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 29, 1966 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 4, 1974
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 6, 1963 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 27, 1977
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 11, 1961 Followed by: Solar eclipse of August 22, 1979
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 17, 1959 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 17, 1981
Lunar Saros 118 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 5, 1952 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 27, 1988
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 5, 1941 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 28, 1999
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 16, 1883 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 17, 2057
Lunar eclipses of 1969–1973
Metonic series
Saros 118
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 125. August 11, 1961August 22, 1979
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links