A total lunar eclipse will occur at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Sunday, December 31, 2028, with an umbral magnitude of 1.2479. 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 4.3 days before perigee (on January 4, 2029, at 23:15 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter will be larger.
This eclipse will occur during a blue moon and is the first such eclipse to happen on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day since December 2009. The next such eclipse will be in December 2047 (though January 2048 for most timezones).
Visibility The eclipse will be completely visible over eastern Europe, Asia, and Australia, seen rising over Africa and Europe and setting over the eastern Pacific Ocean and western North America.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+December 31, 2028 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.27579 Umbral Magnitude 1.24785 Gamma 0.32583 Sun Right Ascension 18h45m53.7s Sun Declination -23°01'00.5" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'15.9" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 06h46m08.4s Moon Declination +23°19'37.5" Moon Semi-Diameter 15'49.4" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°58'04.3" ΔT 73.4 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 December 2028–January 2029 December 31Descending node (full moon) January 14Ascending node (new moon) Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 125 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 151
Related eclipses Eclipses in 2028 A partial lunar eclipse on January 12. An annular solar eclipse on January 26. A partial lunar eclipse on July 6. A total solar eclipse on July 22. A total lunar eclipse on December 31.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 14, 2025 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 18, 2032
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 19, 2021 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 11, 2036
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 26, 2019 Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 5, 2038
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 31, 2018 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 30, 2039
Lunar Saros 125 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 21, 2010 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 12, 2047
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 21, 2000 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 11, 2057
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 3, 1942 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 2, 2115
Lunar eclipses of 2027–2031
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. December 26, 2019January 5, 2038
See also
List of lunar eclipses and List of 21st-century lunar eclipses November 2022 lunar eclipse
Notes
External links