A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, with an umbral magnitude of 1.0112. 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 0.4 days after perigee (01:52 UTC, May 26), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger than average.
It was the first total lunar eclipse since the January 2019 lunar eclipse, and the first in a series of an almost tetrad (with four consecutive total or deep partial lunar eclipses). The next total eclipse occurred in May 2022. The event took place near lunar perigee; as a result, this supermoon was referred to in US media coverage as a "super flower blood moon",Look up! The Super Flower Blood Moon lunar eclipse is coming 26 May www.space.com and elsewhere as a "super blood moon".
This lunar eclipse was the first of an almost tetrad, with the others being on November 19, 2021 (partial); May 16, 2022 (total); and November 8, 2022 (total).
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over Australia and the central Pacific Ocean, seen rising over south and east Asia and setting over North and South America.
Visibility map
Timing Local times are recomputed here for the time zones of the areas where the eclipse was visible: + Local times of contacts Time Zoneadjustments fromUTC +8h +10h +12h -10h -8h -7h -6h -5h -4h AWST AEST NZST HST AKDT PDT MDT CDT EDTEventEvening 26 May / Morning 27 MayMorning 26 MayP1 Penumbral began 4:48 pm 6:48 pm 8:48 pm 10:48 pm 12:48 am 1:48 am 2:48 am 3:48 am 4:48 amU1 Partial began 5:45 pm 7:45 pm 9:45 pm 11:45 pm 1:45 am 2:45 am 3:45 am 4:45 am 5:16 amU2 Total began 7:11 pm 9:11 pm 11:11 pm1:11 am3:11 am4:11 am5:11 am6:11 am Set Greatest eclipse 7:19 pm 9:19 pm 11:19 pm 1:19 am 3:19 am 4:19 am 5:19 am 6:19 am SetU3 Total ended 7:26 pm 9:26 pm 11:26 pm 1:26 am 3:26 am 4:26 am 5:26 am Set SetU4 Partial ended 8:52 pm 10:52 pm 12:52 am 2:52 am 4:52 am Set Set Set SetP4 Penumbral ended 9:50 pm 11:50 pm 1:50 am 3:50 am 5:50 am Set Set Set Set
Gallery
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+May 26, 2021 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 1.95575 Umbral Magnitude 1.01120 Gamma 0.47741 Sun Right Ascension 04h 14m 03.6s Sun Declination +21° 12 25.4 Sun Semi-Diameter 15 47.3 Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7 Moon Right Ascension 16h 14m 37.8s Moon Declination −20° 44 15.0 Moon Semi-Diameter 16 42.9 Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1° 01 20.5 ΔT 69.4 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 May–June 2021 May 26Descending node (full moon) June 10Ascending node (new moon) Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 121 Annular solar eclipseSolar Saros 147
Related eclipses Eclipses in 2021 A total lunar eclipse on May 26. An annular solar eclipse on June 10. A partial lunar eclipse on November 19. A total solar eclipse on December 4.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 7, 2017 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 14, 2025
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 15, 2014 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 6, 2028
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of May 20, 2012 Followed by: Solar eclipse of June 1, 2030
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 26, 2010 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 25, 2032
Lunar Saros 121 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 16, 2003 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 6, 2039
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 15, 1992 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 6, 2050
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 26, 1934 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 27, 2108
Lunar eclipses of 2020–2023
Saros 121
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 128. May 20, 2012June 1, 2030
See also List of lunar eclipses and List of 21st-century lunar eclipses
Notes
References