A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Saturday, September 16, 1978, with an umbral magnitude of 1.3268. 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 2.4 days after perigee (on September 14, 1978, at 10:35 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over east Africa, eastern Europe, much of Asia, and western Australia, seen rising over eastern South America, western Europe, and west and central Africa and setting over northeast Asia and central and eastern Australia.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+September 16, 1978 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.30598 Umbral Magnitude 1.32683 Gamma 0.29510 Sun Right Ascension 11h36m19.9s Sun Declination +02°33'33.2" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'54.7" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7" Moon Right Ascension 23h35m58.5s Moon Declination -02°16'47.0" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'15.0" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°59'38.4" ΔT 49.3 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 September–October 1978 September 16Descending node (full moon) October 2Ascending node (new moon) Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 127 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 153
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1978 A total lunar eclipse on March 24. A partial solar eclipse on April 7. A total lunar eclipse on September 16. A partial solar eclipse on October 2.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 29, 1974 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 6, 1982
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 6, 1971 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 28, 1985
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of September 11, 1969 Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 23, 1987
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 18, 1967 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 17, 1989
Lunar Saros 127 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 5, 1960 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 27, 1996
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 7, 1949 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 28, 2007
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 16, 1891 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 17, 2065
Lunar eclipses of 1977–1980
Saros 127
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 134. September 11, 1969September 23, 1987
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links