A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Friday, August 6, 1971, with an umbral magnitude of 1.7283. 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 2.3 days before perigee (on August 9, 1971, at 2:00 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over central and east Africa, much of Asia, western Australia, and Antarctica, seen rising over central and eastern South America, Europe, and west Africa and setting over east and northeast Asia and eastern Australia.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+August 6, 1971 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.69580 Umbral Magnitude 1.72830 Gamma −0.07944 Sun Right Ascension 09h04m36.6s Sun Declination +16°43'16.0" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'46.2" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7" Moon Right Ascension 21h04m44.2s Moon Declination -16°47'39.7" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'17.9" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°59'49.1" ΔT 41.8 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–August 1971 July 22Descending node (new moon) August 6Ascending node (full moon) August 20Descending node (new moon) Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 116 Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 128 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 154
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1971 A total lunar eclipse on February 10. A partial solar eclipse on February 25. A partial solar eclipse on July 22. A total lunar eclipse on August 6. A partial solar eclipse on August 20.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 18, 1967 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 25, 1975
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 25, 1964 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 16, 1978
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of July 31, 1962 Followed by: Solar eclipse of August 10, 1980
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 5, 1960 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 6, 1982
Lunar Saros 128 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 26, 1953 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 17, 1989
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 26, 1942 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 16, 2000
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 4, 1884 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 6, 2058
Lunar eclipses of 1969–1973
Saros 128
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 135.
July 31, 1962August 10, 1980
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links
http://www.apolloexplorer.co.uk/default.asp?libsrc=/photo/html/as15/10075763.htm