A total lunar eclipse will occur at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Thursday, December 20, 2029, with an umbral magnitude of 1.1190. 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 4.6 days before apogee (on Sunday, December 16, 2029, at 9:00 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter will be smaller.
During the eclipse, NGC 2129 will be occulted by the Moon over the South America, the Atlantic Ocean and Africa. Deep-sky objects are rarely occulted during a total eclipse from any given spot on Earth.
Visibility The eclipse will be completely visible over northern North America, Africa, Europe, and north, west, and central Asia, seen rising over North and South America and setting over east Asia and Australia.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+December 20, 2029 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.20231 Umbral Magnitude 1.11895 Gamma −0.38110 Sun Right Ascension 17h57m07.6s Sun Declination -23°26'00.2" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'15.5" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 05h56m59.0s Moon Declination +23°05'06.7" Moon Semi-Diameter 15'00.4" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°55'04.6" ΔT 73.9 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 December 2029 December 5Ascending node (new moon) December 20Descending node (full moon) Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 123 Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 135
Related eclipses Eclipses in 2029 A partial solar eclipse on January 14. A partial solar eclipse on June 12. A total lunar eclipse on June 26. A partial solar eclipse on July 11. A partial solar eclipse on December 5. A total lunar eclipse on December 20.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 3, 2026 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 8, 2033
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 8, 2022 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 31, 2037
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 14, 2020 Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 26, 2038
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 21, 2019 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 18, 2040
Lunar Saros 135 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 10, 2011 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 1, 2048
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 9, 2001 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 30, 2058
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 20, 1943 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 21, 2116
Lunar eclipses of 2027–2031
Metonic series
Saros 135
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 142. December 14, 2020December 26, 2038
See also List of lunar eclipses and List of 21st-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links