September 2015 lunar eclipse
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Template:Infobox lunar eclipse A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Monday, September 28, 2015,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.2774. 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 5 hours after perigee (on September 27, 2015, at 21:45 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[2]
This lunar eclipse is the last of a tetrad, with four total lunar eclipses in series, the others being on April 15, 2014; October 8, 2014; and April 4, 2015.
The Moon appeared larger than normal, because the Moon was just 1 hour past its closest approach to Earth in 2015 at mid-eclipse, sometimes called a supermoon. The Moon's apparent diameter was larger than 34' viewed straight overhead, just off the coast of northeast Brazil.[3][4]
The total lunar eclipse was darker than expected, possibly due to ash left behind from eruptions of the Calbuco volcano in April 2015.[5]
Background
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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 northern portion of the Moon was closest to the center of the shadow, making it darkest, and most red in appearance.
File:Animation September 28 2015 lunar eclipse appearance.gif
Supermoon
Script error: No such module "labelled list hatnote". This eclipsed Moon appeared 12.9% larger in diameter than the April 2015 lunar eclipse, measured as 29.66' and 33.47' in diameter from Earth's center, as compared in these simulated images.
A supermoon is the coincidence of a full moon or a new moon with the closest approach the Moon makes to the Earth on its elliptical orbit, resulting in the largest apparent size of the lunar disk as seen from Earth. This was the last supermoon lunar eclipse until January 31, 2018.
Visibility
The eclipse was completely visible over eastern North America, South America, west Africa, and western Europe, seen rising over western North America and the eastern Pacific Ocean and setting over east Africa, eastern Europe, and west and central Asia.[7]
| File:Lunar eclipse from moon-2015Sep28.png | File:Lunar eclipse chart close-2015Sep28.png Hourly motion shown right to left |
File:Lunar eclipse from moon simulation-sep 28 2015.png Simulated appearance of Earth and atmospheric ring of sunlight |
File:Lunar eclipse chart close-2015Sep28 wide.png The Moon's hourly motion across the Earth's shadow in the constellation of Pisces. |
| File:Visibility Lunar Eclipse 2015-09-28.png Visibility map | |||
Timing
| Time Zone adjustments from UTC |
-7h | -6h | -5h | -4h | -3h | -2h | -1h | 0h | +1h | +2h | +3h | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDT MST |
MDT | CDT PET |
EDT BOT |
ADT AMST ART |
GMT WET |
WEST CET BST |
CEST EET MSK−1 |
EEST FET MSK | ||||
| Event | Evening 27 September | Morning 28 September | ||||||||||
| P1 | Penumbral begins* | N/A† | N/A† | 7:12 pm | 8:12 pm | 9:12 pm | 10:12 pm | 11:12 pm | 12:12 am | 1:12 am | 2:12 am | 3:12 am |
| U1 | Partial begins | N/A† | 7:07 pm | 8:07 pm | 9:07 pm | 10:07 pm | 11:07 pm | 12:07 am | 1:07 am | 2:07 am | 3:07 am | 4:07 am |
| U2 | Total begins | 7:11 pm | 8:11 pm | 9:11 pm | 10:11 pm | 11:11 pm | 12:11 am | 1:11 am | 2:11 am | 3:11 am | 4:11 am | 5:11 am |
| Mid-eclipse | 7:47 pm | 8:47 pm | 9:47 pm | 10:47 pm | 11:47 pm | 12:47 am | 1:47 am | 2:47 am | 3:47 am | 4:47 am | 5:47 am | |
| U3 | Total ends | 8:23 pm | 9:23 pm | 10:23 pm | 11:23 pm | 12:23 am | 1:23 am | 2:23 am | 3:23 am | 4:23 am | 5:23 am | 6:23 am |
| U4 | Partial ends | 9:27 pm | 10:27 pm | 11:27 pm | 12:27 am | 1:27 am | 2:27 am | 3:27 am | 4:27 am | 5:27 am | 6:27 am | Set |
| P4 | Penumbral ends | 10:22 pm | 11:22 pm | 12:22 am | 1:22 am | 2:22 am | 3:22 am | 4:22 am | 5:22 am | 6:22 am | Set | Set |
† The Moon was not visible during this part of the eclipse in this time zone.
* The penumbral phase of the eclipse changes the appearance of the Moon only slightly and is generally not noticeable.[8]
Template:Total lunar eclipse contacts
Gallery
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The stages of the Lunar eclipse from Staffordshire, UK
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Time-lapse images from Oslo, Norway
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Time-lapse images from Bregenz, Austria
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Warsaw, Poland, 2:01 - 2:16 UTC
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Denver, Colorado, 2:15 UTC
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Fray Bentos, Uruguay 2:28 UTC
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Tampa, Florida, 2:30 UTC
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New York City, New York, 2:36 UTC
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Wrocław, Poland, 2:36 UTC
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Zürich, Switzerland, 2:36 UTC
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Coralville, Iowa, 2:52 UTC
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Munich, Germany, 2:55 UTC
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Sitia, Greece, 3:01 UTC
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Berlin, Germany, 3:05 UTC
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Mill Valley, California, 3:07 UTC
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Munich, Germany, 3:23 UTC
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Boston, Massachusetts, 3:24 UTC
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Germany, 3:37 UTC
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Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire, France, 4:02 UTC
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California, 4:07 UTC
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Eclipse details
Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[9]
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Penumbral Magnitude | 2.23071 |
| Umbral Magnitude | 1.27744 |
| Gamma | −0.32960 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 12h17m08.9s |
| Sun Declination | -01°51'20.9" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 15'57.6" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.8" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 00h17m33.6s |
| Moon Declination | +01°32'03.6" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 16'44.5" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 1°01'26.6" |
| ΔT | 67.8 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.
| September 13 Ascending node (new moon) |
September 28 Descending node (full moon) |
|---|---|
| File:SE2015Sep13P.png | File:Lunar eclipse chart close-2015Sep28.png |
| Partial solar eclipse Solar Saros 125 |
Total lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 137 |
Related eclipses
Eclipses in 2015
- A total solar eclipse on March 20.
- A total lunar eclipse on April 4.
- A partial solar eclipse on September 13.
- A total lunar eclipse on September 28.
Metonic
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 10, 2011
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 16, 2019
Tzolkinex
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 16, 2008
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 8, 2022
Half-Saros
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of September 22, 2006
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 2, 2024
Tritos
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 28, 2004
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 28, 2026
Lunar Saros 137
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 16, 1997
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 8, 2033
Inex
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 17, 1986
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 7, 2044
Triad
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 27, 1928
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 30, 2102
Lunar eclipses of 2013–2016
Template:Lunar eclipse set 2013-2016
Saros 137
Template:Lunar Saros series 137
Tritos series
Template:Lunar Tritos series October 2004
Inex series
Template:Lunar Inex series September 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).[10] This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of solar saros 144.
| September 22, 2006 | October 2, 2024 |
|---|---|
| File:SE2006Sep22A.png | File:SE2024Oct02A.png |
See also
References
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- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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- ↑ Sky and Telescope
- ↑ Here’s the Scoop on Sunday’s Supermoon Eclipse, Bob King
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
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External links
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