A penumbral lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Sunday, January 31, 1999, with an umbral magnitude of −0.0258. It was a relatively rare total penumbral lunar eclipse, with the Moon passing entirely within the penumbral shadow without entering the darker umbral shadow.Total Penumbral Lunar Eclipses, Jean Meeus, June 1980 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 4.8 days after perigee (on January 26, 1999, at 21:25 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over Asia and Australia, seen rising over much of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East and setting over western North America and the central Pacific Ocean.
Gallery This simulated view compares this penumbral eclipse (left) to the full moon (right) as it appeared an hour before the eclipse.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+January 31, 1999 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 1.00272 Umbral Magnitude −0.02583 Gamma −1.01898 Sun Right Ascension 20h55m10.7s Sun Declination -17°22'34.0" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'14.0" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 08h54m26.3s Moon Declination +16°24'30.3" Moon Semi-Diameter 15'47.0" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°57'55.6" ΔT 63.5 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 January–February 1999 January 31Ascending node (full moon) February 16Descending node (new moon) Penumbral lunar eclipseLunar Saros 114 Annular solar eclipseSolar Saros 140
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1999 A penumbral lunar eclipse on January 31. An annular solar eclipse on February 16. A partial lunar eclipse on July 28. A total solar eclipse on August 11.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 15, 1995 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 20, 2002
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 21, 1991 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 14, 2006
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 26, 1990 Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 7, 2008
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 3, 1988 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 31, 2009
Lunar Saros 114 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 20, 1981 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 11, 2017
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 21, 1970 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 12, 2028
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 1, 1912 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 1, 2085
Lunar eclipses of 1998–2002
Saros 114
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 121. January 26, 1990February 7, 2008
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links
Saros cycle 114