A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Tuesday, July 6, 1982, with an umbral magnitude of 1.7180. 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 1.2 days after apogee (on July 5, 1982, at 2:30 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller. It was the longest total lunar eclipse since the August 1859 eclipse.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over western and central North America, western South America, and Antarctica, seen rising over northwestern North America, Australia, and the western Pacific Ocean and setting over northeastern North America, eastern South America, and west and southern Africa.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+July 6, 1982 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.78600 Umbral Magnitude 1.71795 Gamma −0.05792 Sun Right Ascension 07h00m26.1s Sun Declination +22°42'50.6" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'43.9" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.6" Moon Right Ascension 19h00m26.1s Moon Declination -22°45'58.4" Moon Semi-Diameter 14'43.7" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°54'03.4" ΔT 52.6 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 June–July 1982 June 21Ascending node (new moon) July 6Descending node (full moon) July 20Ascending node (new moon) Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 117 Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 129 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 155
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1982 A total lunar eclipse on January 9. A partial solar eclipse on January 25. A partial solar eclipse on June 21. A total lunar eclipse on July 6. A partial solar eclipse on July 20. A partial solar eclipse on December 15. A total lunar eclipse on December 30.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 16, 1978 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 24, 1986
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 25, 1975 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 17, 1989
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of June 30, 1973 Followed by: Solar eclipse of July 11, 1991
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 6, 1971 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 4, 1993
Lunar Saros 129 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 25, 1964 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 16, 2000
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 26, 1953 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 15, 2011
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 4, 1895 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 6, 2069
Lunar eclipses of 1980–1984
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. June 30, 1973July 11, 1991
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links NASA: Lunar Eclipses: Past and Future
Index to Five Millennium Catalog of Lunar Eclipses, -1999 to +3000 (2000 BCE to 3000 CE) Eclipses: 1901 to 2000 Total Lunar Eclipse of 1982 July 06 Photo Gallery Photo mideclipse Vulcan Eclipse End of Totality 6 July 1982, by Jerry Lodriguss
References Bao-Lin Liu, Canon of Lunar Eclipses 1500 B.C.-A.D. 3000, 1992