A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Monday, September 5, 1960, with an umbral magnitude of 1.4239. It was a central lunar eclipse, in which part of the Moon passed through the center of the Earth's shadow. 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 2.5 days after perigee (on September 2, 1960, at 22:20 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over eastern Australia, northeast Asia, and northwestern North America, seen rising over western Australia and the eastern half of Asia and setting over North and South America.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+September 5, 1960 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.40311 Umbral Magnitude 1.42386 Gamma 0.24219 Sun Right Ascension 10h56m53.2s Sun Declination +06°43'28.1" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'52.0" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7" Moon Right Ascension 22h56m36.4s Moon Declination -06°29'41.1" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'12.2" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°59'28.1" ΔT 33.5 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 1960 September 5Descending node (full moon) September 20Ascending node (new moon) Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 127 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 153
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1960 A total lunar eclipse on March 13. A partial solar eclipse on March 27. A total lunar eclipse on September 5. A partial solar eclipse on September 20.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 18, 1956 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 25, 1964
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 26, 1953 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 18, 1967
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of September 1, 1951 Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 11, 1969
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 7, 1949 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 6, 1971
Lunar Saros 127 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 26, 1942 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 16, 1978
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 26, 1931 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 17, 1989
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 4, 1873 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 7, 2047
Lunar eclipses of 1958–1962
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 total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 134. September 1, 1951September 11, 1969
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
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