A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Sunday, November 18, 1956, with an umbral magnitude of 1.3172. 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 3.4 days before perigee (on November 21, 1956, at 16:45 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
This lunar eclipse was the second of an almost tetrad, with the others being on May 24, 1956 (partial); May 13, 1957 (total); and November 7, 1957 (total).
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over North America and western South America, seen rising over northeast Asia and eastern Australia and setting over eastern South America, west and central Africa, and Europe.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+November 18, 1956 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.32849 Umbral Magnitude 1.31720 Gamma 0.29167 Sun Right Ascension 15h34m22.3s Sun Declination -19°14'20.7" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'11.0" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 03h34m12.2s Moon Declination +19°31'18.5" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'00.2" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°58'44.0" ΔT 31.8 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 November–December 1956 November 18Descending node (full moon) December 2Ascending node (new moon) Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 125 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 151
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1956 A partial lunar eclipse on May 24. A total solar eclipse on June 8. A total lunar eclipse on November 18. A partial solar eclipse on December 2.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 29, 1953 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 5, 1960
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 7, 1949 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 30, 1963
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 12, 1947 Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 23, 1965
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 19, 1945 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 18, 1967
Lunar Saros 125 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 7, 1938 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 29, 1974
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 8, 1927 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 28, 1985
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 17, 1870 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 19, 2043
Lunar eclipses of 1955–1958
Saros 125
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 132. November 12, 1947November 23, 1965
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
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