A penumbral lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Thursday, January 18, 1973, with an umbral magnitude of −0.1292. 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 days after perigee (on January 16, 1973, at 20:50 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
This eclipse was the first of four lunar eclipses in 1973, with the others occurring on June 15 (penumbral), July 15 (penumbral), and December 10 (partial).
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over Europe, Africa, and Asia, seen rising over eastern North America and much of South America and setting over east Asia and Australia.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+January 18, 1973 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 0.86555 Umbral Magnitude −0.12922 Gamma −1.08446 Sun Right Ascension 20h03m09.2s Sun Declination -20°25'53.6" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'15.4" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 08h01m47.2s Moon Declination +19°23'46.9" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'20.5" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°59'58.5" ΔT 43.4 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 January 1973 January 4Ascending node (new moon) January 18Descending node (full moon) Annular solar eclipseSolar Saros 131 Penumbral lunar eclipseLunar Saros 143
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1973 An annular solar eclipse on January 4. A penumbral lunar eclipse on January 18. A penumbral lunar eclipse on June 15. A total solar eclipse on June 30. A penumbral lunar eclipse on July 15. A partial lunar eclipse on December 10. An annular solar eclipse on December 24.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 2, 1969 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 6, 1976
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 8, 1965 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 1, 1980
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 14, 1964 Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 25, 1982
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 19, 1962 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 20, 1983
Lunar Saros 143 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 8, 1955 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 30, 1991
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 9, 1944 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 30, 2001
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 20, 1886 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 19, 2059
Lunar eclipses of 1969–1973
Saros 143
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 partial solar eclipses of Solar Saros 150.
January 14, 1964January 25, 1982
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links