A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Sunday, July 16, 2000, with an umbral magnitude of 1.7684. It was a central lunar eclipse, in which part of the Moon passed through the center of the Earth's shadow. 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 1.1 days after apogee (on July 15, 2000, at 11:30 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
Totality lasted for 106 minutes and 25 seconds, the longest duration since 13 August 1859 (106 minutes and 28 seconds) and 3 May 459 (106 minutes and 32 seconds), and totality of this length will not occur again until 19 August 4753 (106 minutes and 35 seconds). This was the last and longest total lunar eclipse of the 20th century, as well as the second longest and last of the second millennium. It was also the eighth longest total lunar eclipse on EclipseWise's Six Millennium Catalog of Lunar Eclipses, which covers the years 3000 BCE to 3000 AD. The longest total lunar eclipse between the years 4000 BCE and 6000 CE took place on 31 May 318. Totality lasted 106 minutes and 36 seconds, which is only 11 seconds longer than this one.EclipseWise – Six Millennium Catalog of Lunar Eclipses
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over Australia, Antarctica, and much of the Pacific Ocean, seen rising over Asia and eastern Africa and setting over western North and South America.
The Moon passed straight through the center of the Earth's shadow at the descending node in Sagittarius of its orbit.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+July 16, 2000 lunar eclipse parameters Parameter Value Penumbral magnitude 2.83749 Umbral magnitude 1.76839 Gamma 0.03015 Sun right ascension 07h44m54.7s Sun declination +21°15'02.4" Sun semi-diameter 15'44.2" Sun equatorial horizontal parallax 08.7" Moon right ascension 19h44m54.2s Moon declination -21°13'24.9" Moon semi-diameter 14'43.2" Moon equatorial horizontal parallax 0°54'01.2" ΔT 64.0 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. The first and last eclipse in this sequence is separated by one synodic month.
+ Eclipse season of July 2000 July 1Ascending node (new moon) July 16Descending node (full moon) July 31Ascending node (new moon) Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 117 Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 129 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 155
Related eclipses Eclipses in 2000 A total lunar eclipse on January 21 A partial solar eclipse on February 5 A partial solar eclipse on July 1 A total lunar eclipse on July 16 A partial solar eclipse on July 31 A partial solar eclipse on December 25
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 27, 1996 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 4, 2004
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 4, 1993 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 28, 2007
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of July 11, 1991 Followed by: Solar eclipse of July 22, 2009
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 17, 1989 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 15, 2011
Lunar Saros 129 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 6, 1982 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 27, 2018
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 6, 1971 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 26, 2029
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 15, 1913 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 17, 2087
Lunar eclipses of 1998–2002
Saros 129
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 136. July 11, 1991July 22, 2009
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links
Total Lunar Eclipse of 2000 July 16
Total Lunar Eclipse July 16, 2000 Lunar Eclipse Facts: July 16, 2000
Total Lunar Eclipse of 2000 July 16 A Report with Photographs ©2000 by Fred Espenak] Total lunar eclipse 16 July 2000, as seen from Wellington New Zealand