April 2015 lunar eclipse

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Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Template:Infobox lunar eclipse A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Saturday, April 4, 2015,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.0019. 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 3.1 days after apogee (on April 1, 2015, at 9:00 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.[2]

This lunar eclipse is the third of a tetrad, with four total lunar eclipses in series, the others being on April 15, 2014; October 8, 2014; and September 28, 2015.

This is the 30th member of Lunar Saros 132, and the first total eclipse of the series. The previous event was the March 1997 lunar eclipse, being slightly partial.

It occurred on Easter Sunday (Gregorian only).[3]Template:Rp

Duration

Totality lasted only 4 minutes and 43 seconds,[4] making it the shortest lunar totality in almost five centuries since October 17, 1529 (which lasted 1 minute and 42 seconds). It was claimed by some that due to the oblateness of the Earth, it may have actually just been a partial eclipse.[5] It was the sixth total lunar eclipse out of nine with totality under 5 minutes in a five millennium period between 2,000 BC and 3,000 AD. The eclipsed moon was 12.9% smaller in apparent diameter than the supermoon September 2015 lunar eclipse, measured as 29.66' and 33.47' in diameter from the center of the Earth. It occurred 3 days past apogee at 29.42'.

File:Supermoon lunar eclipse 2015.png

Background

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes within Earth's umbra (shadow). As the eclipse begins, Earth's shadow first darkens the Moon slightly. Then, the shadow begins to "cover" part of the Moon, turning it a dark red-brown color (typically - the color can vary based on atmospheric conditions). The Moon appears to be reddish because of Rayleigh scattering (the same effect that causes sunsets to appear reddish) and the refraction of that light by Earth's atmosphere into its umbra.[6]

The following simulation shows the approximate appearance of the Moon passing through Earth's shadow. The Moon's brightness is exaggerated within the umbral shadow. The southern portion of the Moon will be closest to the center of the shadow, making it darkest, and most red in appearance.

File:Animation April 4 2015 lunar eclipse appearance.gif

Visibility

The eclipse was completely visible over northeast Asia, eastern Australia, the Pacific Ocean, and western North America, seen rising over Asia and western Australia and setting over North and South America.[7]

File:Lunar eclipse from moon-2015Apr04.png File:Lunar eclipse chart close-2015Apr04.png
File:Visibility Lunar Eclipse 2015-04-04.png
Visibility map

Timing

Local times of contacts
Time Zone
adjustments from
UTC 		+8h +11h +13h -10h -8h -7h -6h -5h -4h
AWST AEDT NZDT HST AKDT PDT MDT CDT EDT
Event Evening April 4 Morning April 4
P1 Penumbral begins N/A† 8:01 pm 10:01 pm 11:01 pm 1:01 am 2:01 am 3:01 am 4:01 am 5:01 am
U1 Partial begins 6:16 pm 9:16 pm 11:16 pm 12:16 am 2:16 am 3:16 am 4:16 am 5:16 am 6:16 am
U2 Total begins 7:58 pm 10:58 pm 12:58 am 1:58 am 3:58 am 4:58 am 5:58 am 6:58 am Set
Greatest eclipse 8:00 pm 11:00 pm 1:00 am 2:00 am 4:00 am 5:00 am 6:00 am 7:00 am Set
U3 Total ends 8:03 pm 11:03 pm 1:03 am 2:03 am 4:03 am 5:03 am 6:03 am Set Set
U4 Partial ends 9:45 pm 12:45 am 2:45 am 3:45 am 5:45 am Set Set Set Set
P4 Penumbral ends 10:59 pm 1:59 am 3:59 am 3:59 am 5:59 am Set Set Set Set

† The Moon was not visible during this part of the eclipse in this time zone.

File:Lunar eclipse contact diagram.svg
Contact points relative to the Earth's umbral and penumbral shadows, here with the Moon near its descending node.

Template:Total lunar eclipse contacts

Gallery

File:Lunar Eclipse phase.jpg
Progression from Bali, Indonesia
File:Total eclipse of the moon on 4 Apr. 2015, Taiwan (16415899064).jpg
Time-lapsed image from Taiwan 		File:April 4 Eclipse (16826858317).jpg
Sequence from Fox Observatory in Sunrise, Florida
File:Lunar Eclipse - April 4, 2015 from Melbourne (FL) (16410545874).jpg
Sequence from Melbourne, Florida 		File:Fading Moon (16867776368).jpg
Progression from St. Louis, Missouri

Eclipse details

Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[8]

April 4, 2015 Lunar Eclipse Parameters
Parameter Value
Penumbral Magnitude 2.08024
Umbral Magnitude 1.00191
Gamma 0.44599
Sun Right Ascension 00h53m01.2s
Sun Declination +05°40'32.8"
Sun Semi-Diameter 15'59.6"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.8"
Moon Right Ascension 12h53m29.7s
Moon Declination -05°17'20.2"
Moon Semi-Diameter 14'49.9"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°54'25.9"
ΔT 67.7 s

Eclipse season

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". 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 March–April 2015
March 20
Descending node (new moon)
 April 4
Ascending node (full moon)
File:SE2015Mar20T.png File:Lunar eclipse chart close-2015Apr04.png
Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 120		 Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 132

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 2015

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Lunar Saros 132

Inex

Triad

Lunar eclipses of 2013–2016

Template:Lunar eclipse set 2013-2016

Saros 132

Template:Lunar Saros series 132

Tritos series

Template:Lunar Tritos series May 2004

Inex series

Template:Lunar Inex series April 2015

Half-Saros cycle

A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).[9] This lunar eclipse is related to two total solar eclipses of solar saros 139.

March 29, 2006 April 8, 2024
File:SE2006Mar29T.png File:SE2024Apr08T.png

See also

Notes

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros

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External links

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Template:Lunar eclipses

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