A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Monday, November 7, 1938, with an umbral magnitude of 1.3525. 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 3.2 days before perigee (on November 11, 1938, at 3:25 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
This lunar eclipse was the second of an almost tetrad, with the others being on May 14, 1938 (total); May 3, 1939 (total); and October 28, 1939 (partial).
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over Africa, Europe, and west and central Asia, seen rising over North and South America and setting over east Asia and western Australia.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+November 7, 1938 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.35850 Umbral Magnitude 1.35251 Gamma 0.27386 Sun Right Ascension 14h49m34.6s Sun Declination -16°17'56.2" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'08.6" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 02h49m21.3s Moon Declination +16°33'44.7" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'02.9" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°58'53.8" ΔT 24.1 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.
+ Eclipse season of November 1938 November 7Descending node (full moon) November 21Ascending node (new moon) Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 125 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 151
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1938 A total lunar eclipse on May 14. A total solar eclipse on May 29. A total lunar eclipse on November 7. A partial solar eclipse on November 21.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 19, 1935 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 26, 1942
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 26, 1931 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 19, 1945
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 1, 1929 Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 12, 1947
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 8, 1927 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 7, 1949
Lunar Saros 125 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 27, 1920 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 18, 1956
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 27, 1909 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 18, 1967
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 7, 1852 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 7, 2025
Lunar eclipses of 1937–1940
Saros 125
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 132. November 1, 1929November 12, 1947
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links