A penumbral lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Tuesday, March 14, 2006, with an umbral magnitude of −0.0584. It was a relatively rare total penumbral lunar eclipse, with the Moon passing entirely within the penumbral shadow without entering the darker umbral shadow. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when part or all of the Moon's near side passes into the Earth's penumbra. 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. Occurring about 2.2 days after apogee (on March 12, 2006, at 20:45 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible much of Africa, eastern South America, Europe, and west Asia, seen rising over North and South America and setting over much of Asia and western Australia.
Hourly motion shown right to leftThe Moon's hourly motion across the Earth's shadow in the constellation of Virgo. Visibility map
Images
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+March 14, 2006 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 1.03205 Umbral Magnitude −0.05835 Gamma 1.02106 Sun Right Ascension 23h38m54.0s Sun Declination -02°16'57.9" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'05.1" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.8" Moon Right Ascension 11h40m41.4s Moon Declination +03°05'17.9" Moon Semi-Diameter 14'45.1" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°54'08.3" ΔT 65.0 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 March 2006 March 14Descending node (full moon) March 29Ascending node (new moon) Penumbral lunar eclipseLunar Saros 113 Total solar eclipseSolar Saros 139
Related eclipses Eclipses in 2006 A penumbral lunar eclipse on March 14. A total solar eclipse on March 29. A partial lunar eclipse on September 7. An annular solar eclipse on September 22.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 26, 2002 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 31, 2009
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 31, 1999 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 25, 2013
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 9, 1997 Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 20, 2015
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 15, 1995 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 11, 2017
Lunar Saros 113 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 3, 1988 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 25, 2024
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 4, 1977 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 22, 2035
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 15, 1919 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 12, 2093
Lunar eclipses of 2006–2009
Metonic series
Saros 113
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 total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 120. March 9, 1997March 20, 2015
See also List of lunar eclipses and List of 21st-century lunar eclipses May 2003 lunar eclipse November 2003 lunar eclipse May 2004 lunar eclipse
Notes
External links
photo of partial [penumbral] eclipse on March 14th of 2006, Kennebunk, Maine