A partial lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Saturday, August 26, 1961, with an umbral magnitude of 0.9863. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A partial lunar eclipse occurs when one part of the Moon is in the Earth's umbra, while the other part is in 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 only about 7.5 hours after perigee (on August 25, 1961, at 19:40 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
This nearly total lunar eclipse of Lunar Saros 137 preceded the first total eclipse on September 6, 1979.Hermit Eclipse: Saros cycle 137 It was also the largest partial lunar eclipse since October 28, 1939, making it the second largest partial lunar eclipse of the 20th century.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over eastern North America, South America, west Africa, western Europe, and Antarctica, seen rising over western and central North America and the eastern Pacific Ocean and setting over much of Europe, central and east Africa, and west and central Asia.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+August 26, 1961 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 1.93301 Umbral Magnitude 0.98626 Gamma −0.48947 Sun Right Ascension 10h18m26.0s Sun Declination +10°31'58.9" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'49.7" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7" Moon Right Ascension 22h18m58.5s Moon Declination -11°00'55.6" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'43.1" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°01'21.5" ΔT 33.8 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 August 1961 August 11Ascending node (new moon) August 26Descending node (full moon) Annular solar eclipseSolar Saros 125 Partial lunar eclipseLunar Saros 137
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1961 A total solar eclipse on February 15. A partial lunar eclipse on March 2. An annular solar eclipse on August 11. A partial lunar eclipse on August 26.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 7, 1957 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 14, 1965
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 16, 1954 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 6, 1968
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 20, 1952 Followed by: Solar eclipse of August 31, 1970
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 26, 1950 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 26, 1972
Lunar Saros 137 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 15, 1943 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 6, 1979
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 14, 1932 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 6, 1990
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 25, 1874 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 26, 2048
Lunar eclipses of 1958–1962
Saros 137
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 144. August 20, 1952August 31, 1970
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
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