A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Wednesday, February 10, 1971, with an umbral magnitude of 1.3082. 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 2.8 days before apogee (on February 13, 1971, at 2:10 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over North America and northwestern South America, seen rising over east Asia and northeast Asia and Australia and setting over much of South America, Europe, and west and central Africa.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+February 10, 1971 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.40262 Umbral Magnitude 1.30819 Gamma 0.27413 Sun Right Ascension 21h33m15.2s Sun Declination -14°31'31.4" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'12.5" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 09h33m40.7s Moon Declination +14°45'05.5" Moon Semi-Diameter 14'48.6" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°54'21.2" ΔT 41.3 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 February 1971 February 10Descending node (full moon) February 25Ascending node (new moon) Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 123 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 149
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 April 24, 1967 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 29, 1974
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 30, 1963 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 24, 1978
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 5, 1962 Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 16, 1980
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 13, 1960 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 9, 1982
Lunar Saros 123 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 29, 1953 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 20, 1989
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 3, 1942 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 21, 2000
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 10, 1884 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 11, 2057
Lunar eclipses of 1969–1973
Saros 123
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 130.
February 5, 1962February 16, 1980
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links