September 1978 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 Saturday, September 16, 1978,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.3268. 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 2.4 days after perigee (on September 14, 1978, at 10:35 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[2]
Visibility
The eclipse was completely visible over east Africa, eastern Europe, much of Asia, and western Australia, seen rising over eastern South America, western Europe, and west and central Africa and setting over northeast Asia and central and eastern Australia.[3]
| File:Lunar eclipse from moon-1978Sep16.png File:Lunar eclipse chart close-1978Sep16.png |
Eclipse details
Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[4]
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Penumbral Magnitude | 2.30598 |
| Umbral Magnitude | 1.32683 |
| Gamma | 0.29510 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 11h36m19.9s |
| Sun Declination | +02°33'33.2" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 15'54.7" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.7" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 23h35m58.5s |
| Moon Declination | -02°16'47.0" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 16'15.0" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 0°59'38.4" |
| ΔT | 49.3 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 16 Descending node (full moon) |
October 2 Ascending node (new moon) |
|---|---|
| File:Lunar eclipse chart close-1978Sep16.png | File:SE1978Oct02P.png |
| Total lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 127 |
Partial solar eclipse Solar Saros 153 |
Related eclipses
Eclipses in 1978
- A total lunar eclipse on March 24.
- A partial solar eclipse on April 7.
- A total lunar eclipse on September 16.
- A partial solar eclipse on October 2.
Metonic
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 29, 1974
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 6, 1982
Tzolkinex
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 6, 1971
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 28, 1985
Half-Saros
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of September 11, 1969
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 23, 1987
Tritos
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 18, 1967
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 17, 1989
Lunar Saros 127
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 5, 1960
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 27, 1996
Inex
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 7, 1949
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 28, 2007
Triad
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 16, 1891
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 17, 2065
Lunar eclipses of 1977–1980
Template:Lunar eclipse set 1977-1980
Saros 127
Template:Lunar Saros series 127
Tritos series
This eclipse is a part of a tritos cycle, repeating at alternating nodes every 135 synodic months (≈ 3986.63 days, or 11 years minus 1 month). Their appearance and longitude are irregular due to a lack of synchronization with the anomalistic month (period of perigee), but groupings of 3 tritos cycles (≈ 33 years minus 3 months) come close (≈ 434.044 anomalistic months), so eclipses are similar in these groupings.
Inex series
Template:Lunar Inex series August 2007
Half-Saros cycle
A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).[5] This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 134.
| September 11, 1969 | September 23, 1987 |
|---|---|
| File:SE1969Sep11A.png | File:SE1987Sep23A.png |
See also
Notes
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
External links
- 1978 Sep 16 chart Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA/GSFC
Script error: No such module "Navbox".