A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Monday, December 30, 1963, with an umbral magnitude of 1.3350. 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 1.5 days after perigee (on December 29, 1963, at 0:10 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over northeast Asia and much of North America, seen rising over much of Asia and Australia and setting over eastern North America and South America.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+December 30, 1963 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.32062 Umbral Magnitude 1.33504 Gamma −0.28889 Sun Right Ascension 18h34m56.9s Sun Declination -23°12'00.5" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'15.9" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 06h34m59.9s Moon Declination +22°54'31.5" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'30.2" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°00'34.1" ΔT 35.1 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 1963–January 1964 December 30Ascending node (full moon) January 14Descending node (new moon) Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 124 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 150
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1963 A penumbral lunar eclipse on January 9. An annular solar eclipse on January 25. A partial lunar eclipse on July 6. A total solar eclipse on July 20. A total lunar eclipse on December 30.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 13, 1960 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 18, 1967
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 18, 1956 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 10, 1971
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 25, 1954 Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 4, 1973
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 29, 1953 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 29, 1974
Lunar Saros 124 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 19, 1945 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 9, 1982
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 19, 1935 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 9, 1992
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 27, 1877 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 30, 2050
Lunar eclipses of 1962–1965
Saros 124
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 131. December 25, 1954January 4, 1973
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links