A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Friday, June 14, 1946, with an umbral magnitude of 1.3983. 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 1.8 days after the apogee (on June 12, 1946, at 22:40 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
This was the first central lunar eclipse of Lunar Saros 129.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over east Africa, central, south, and southeast Asia, western Australia, and Antarctica, seen rising over much of Africa, eastern South America, Europe, and west Asia and setting over northeast Asia and eastern Australia.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+June 14, 1946 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.46538 Umbral Magnitude 1.39833 Gamma −0.23239 Sun Right Ascension 05h29m50.7s Sun Declination +23°15'55.5" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'44.7" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7" Moon Right Ascension 17h29m42.4s Moon Declination -23°28'21.8" Moon Semi-Diameter 14'45.4" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°54'09.4" ΔT 27.6 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 May–June 1946 May 30Ascending node (new moon) June 14Descending node (full moon) June 29Ascending node (new moon) Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 117 Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 129 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 155
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1946 A partial solar eclipse on January 3. A partial solar eclipse on May 30. A total lunar eclipse on June 14. A partial solar eclipse on June 29. A partial solar eclipse on November 23. A total lunar eclipse on December 8.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 26, 1942 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 2, 1950
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 3, 1939 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 26, 1953
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of June 8, 1937 Followed by: Solar eclipse of June 20, 1955
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 16, 1935 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 13, 1957
Lunar Saros 129 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 3, 1928 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 25, 1964
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 4, 1917 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 25, 1975
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 13, 1859 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 14, 2033
Lunar eclipses of 1944–1947
Saros 129
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 136. June 8, 1937June 20, 1955
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links