A partial lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Monday, March 24, 1997, with an umbral magnitude of 0.9195. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A partial lunar eclipse occurs when one part of the Moon is in the Earth's umbra, while the other part is in 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 3.2 days after apogee (on March 20, 1997, at 23:40 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
This lunar eclipse, a near total one, was the third of an almost tetrad, with the others being on April 4, 1996 (total); September 27, 1996 (total); and September 16, 1997 (total).
This was the last of the first set of partial eclipses in Lunar Saros 132.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over much of North America and South America, seen rising over western North America and the central Pacific Ocean and setting over Africa, Europe, and west and central Asia.
Gallery
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+March 24, 1997 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 1.99936 Umbral Magnitude 0.91953 Gamma 0.48990 Sun Right Ascension 00h13m09.7s Sun Declination +01°25'31.5" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'02.5" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.8" Moon Right Ascension 12h13m42.1s Moon Declination -01°00'04.5" Moon Semi-Diameter 14'51.3" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°54'31.3" ΔT 62.4 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 March 1997 March 9Descending node (new moon) March 24Ascending node (full moon) Total solar eclipseSolar Saros 120 Partial lunar eclipseLunar Saros 132
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1997 A total solar eclipse on March 9. A partial lunar eclipse on March 24. A partial solar eclipse on September 2. A total lunar eclipse on September 16.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 4, 1993 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 9, 2001
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 9, 1990 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 4, 2004
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 18, 1988 Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 29, 2006
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 24, 1986 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 21, 2008
Lunar Saros 132 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 13, 1979 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 4, 2015
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 13, 1968 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 3, 2026
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 24, 1910 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 22, 2084
Lunar eclipses of 1995–1998
Saros 132
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 139. March 18, 1988March 29, 2006
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links
Photos Dave Lane's March 24, 1997 Lunar Eclipse Movies and Images March 24, 1997 Partial Lunar Eclipse, Bill Pearce THE 1997 MARCH 23-24 PARTIAL LUNAR ECLIPSE, CALWELL LUNAR OBSERVATORY Lunar Eclipse of March 24, 1997, James Funkhouser The 91% eclipsed moon on March 23-24, 1997