A partial lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Saturday, August 27, 1988, with an umbral magnitude of 0.2916. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A partial lunar eclipse occurs when one part of the Moon is in the Earth's umbra, while the other part is in 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 only about 7 hours before perigee (on August 17, 1988, at 17:50 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over eastern Australia, western North America, and much of the Pacific Ocean, seen rising over western Australia and the eastern half of Asia and setting over much of North America and South America.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+August 27, 1988 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 1.23803 Umbral Magnitude 0.29159 Gamma −0.86816 Sun Right Ascension 10h25m02.1s Sun Declination +09°54'10.9" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'50.0" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7" Moon Right Ascension 22h26m40.4s Moon Declination -10°41'41.3" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'43.7" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°01'23.7" ΔT 56.1 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 August–September 1988 August 27Ascending node (full moon) September 11Descending node (new moon) Partial lunar eclipseLunar Saros 118 Annular solar eclipseSolar Saros 144
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1988 A penumbral lunar eclipse on March 3. A total solar eclipse on March 18. A partial lunar eclipse on August 27. An annular solar eclipse on September 11.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 8, 1984 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 15, 1992
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 17, 1981 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 8, 1995
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 22, 1979 Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 2, 1997
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 27, 1977 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 28, 1999
Lunar Saros 118 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 17, 1970 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 7, 2006
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 17, 1959 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 7, 2017
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 27, 1901 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 28, 2075
Lunar eclipses of 1988–1991
Metonic series
Saros 118
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 solar eclipses of Solar Saros 125. August 22, 1979September 2, 1997
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links