A total lunar eclipse will occur at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Tuesday, August 18, 2054, with an umbral magnitude of 1.3074. 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 only about 2 hours after apogee (on August 18, 2054, at 6:20 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter will be smaller.
This lunar eclipse will be the second of an almost tetrad, with the others being on February 22, 2054 (total); February 11, 2055 (total); and August 7, 2055 (partial).
Visibility The eclipse will be completely visible over western North America and the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, seen rising over east 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.
+August 18, 2054 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.38166 Umbral Magnitude 1.30735 Gamma 0.28065 Sun Right Ascension 09h51m47.0s Sun Declination +12°57'08.8" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'48.0" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7" Moon Right Ascension 21h51m32.0s Moon Declination -12°42'26.7" Moon Semi-Diameter 14'42.4" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°53'58.4" ΔT 88.1 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 2054 August 3Ascending node (new moon) August 18Descending node (full moon) September 2Ascending node (new moon) Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 117 Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 129 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 155
Related eclipses Eclipses in 2054 A total lunar eclipse on February 22. A partial solar eclipse on March 9. A partial solar eclipse on August 3. A total lunar eclipse on August 18. A partial solar eclipse on September 2.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 30, 2050 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 6, 2058
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 7, 2047 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 29, 2061
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 12, 2045 Followed by: Solar eclipse of August 24, 2063
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 19, 2043 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 17, 2065
Lunar Saros 129 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 7, 2036 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 28, 2072
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 7, 2025 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 29, 2083
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 18, 1967 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 19, 2141
Lunar eclipses of 2053–2056
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. August 12, 2045August 24, 2063
See also List of lunar eclipses and List of 21st-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links