A penumbral lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Saturday, August 8, 1998, with an umbral magnitude of −0.8637. 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 3.4 days before perigee (on August 11, 1998, at 12:45 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over eastern and central North America, South America, Africa, much of Europe, and Antarctica, seen rising over western North America and setting over eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+August 8, 1998 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 0.12064 Umbral Magnitude −0.86370 Gamma 1.48757 Sun Right Ascension 09h11m18.0s Sun Declination +16°13'41.5" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'46.4" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7" Moon Right Ascension 21h10m04.5s Moon Declination -14°48'01.2" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'01.4" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°58'48.5" ΔT 63.2 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 August–September 1998 August 8Descending node (full moon) August 22Ascending node (new moon) September 6Descending node (full moon) Penumbral lunar eclipseLunar Saros 109 Annular solar eclipseSolar Saros 135 Penumbral lunar eclipseLunar Saros 147
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1998 A total solar eclipse on February 26. A penumbral lunar eclipse on March 13. A penumbral lunar eclipse on August 8. An annular solar eclipse on August 22. A penumbral lunar eclipse on September 6.
Metonic Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 26, 2002
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 27, 1991
Tritos Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 7, 2009
Lunar Saros 109 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 27, 1980 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 18, 2016
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 27, 1969 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 18, 2027
Triad Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 8, 2085
Lunar eclipses of 1998–2002
Saros 109
Tritos series
Inex series
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
References
External links Saros cycle 109