A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Wednesday, August 26, 1942, with an umbral magnitude of 1.5344. It was a central lunar eclipse, in which part of the Moon passed through the center of the Earth's shadow. 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 2.7 days after perigee (on August 23, 1942, at 9:50 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 eastern Pacific Ocean and setting over Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+August 26, 1942 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.51418 Umbral Magnitude 1.53440 Gamma 0.18180 Sun Right Ascension 10h17m03.7s Sun Declination +10°39'49.6" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'49.7" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7" Moon Right Ascension 22h16m52.1s Moon Declination -10°29'26.0" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'09.3" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°59'17.3" ΔT 25.7 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. The first and last eclipse in this sequence is separated by one synodic month.
+ Eclipse season of August–September 1942 August 12Ascending node (new moon) August 26Descending node (full moon) September 10Ascending node (new moon) Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 115 Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 127 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 153
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1942 A total lunar eclipse on March 3. A partial solar eclipse on March 16. A partial solar eclipse on August 12. A total lunar eclipse on August 26. A partial solar eclipse on September 10.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 7, 1938 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 14, 1946
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 16, 1935 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 7, 1949
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 21, 1933 Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 1, 1951
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 26, 1931 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 26, 1953
Lunar Saros 127 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 14, 1924 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 5, 1960
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 15, 1913 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 6, 1971
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 25, 1855 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 26, 2029
Lunar eclipses of 1940–1944
Saros 127
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 total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 134. August 21, 1933September 1, 1951
See also List of lunar eclipses and List of 21st-century lunar eclipses
References
External links Saros series 127