A penumbral lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Thursday, March 3, 1988, with an umbral magnitude of −0.0016. It was a relatively rare total penumbral lunar eclipse, with the Moon passing entirely within the penumbral shadow without entering the darker umbral shadow.Total Penumbral Lunar Eclipses, Jean Meeus, June 1980 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 2.2 days after apogee (on March 1, 1988, at 11:50 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over most of Asia and Australia, seen rising over much of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East and setting over western North America and the central Pacific Ocean.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+March 3, 1988 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 1.09076 Umbral Magnitude −0.00163 Gamma 0.98855 Sun Right Ascension 22h58m28.1s Sun Declination -06°33'42.5" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'07.8" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 11h00m10.4s Moon Declination +07°20'53.4" Moon Semi-Diameter 14'46.0" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°54'11.6" ΔT 55.8 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.
+ Eclipse season of March 1988 March 3Descending node (full moon) March 18Ascending node (new moon) Penumbral lunar eclipseLunar Saros 113 Total solar eclipseSolar Saros 139
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 May 15, 1984 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 21, 1991
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 20, 1981 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 15, 1995
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 26, 1979 Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 9, 1997
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 4, 1977 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 31, 1999
Lunar Saros 113 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 21, 1970 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 14, 2006
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 24, 1959 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 11, 2017
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 3, 1901 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 2, 2075
Lunar eclipses of 1988–1991
Metonic series
Saros 113
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 120.
February 26, 1979March 9, 1997
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links