A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Thursday, January 29, 1953, with an umbral magnitude of 1.3314. 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 before apogee (on February 1, 1953, at 11:46 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over Africa, Europe, and west and central Asia, seen rising over North and South America and setting over western Australia and much of Asia.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+January 29, 1953 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.42906 Umbral Magnitude 1.33137 Gamma 0.26061 Sun Right Ascension 20h48m59.2s Sun Declination -17°47'59.2" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'14.1" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 08h49m20.8s Moon Declination +18°01'09.9" Moon Semi-Diameter 14'47.4" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°54'16.9" ΔT 30.3 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–February 1953 January 29Descending node (full moon) February 14Ascending node (new moon) Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 123 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 149
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1953 A total lunar eclipse on January 29. A partial solar eclipse on February 14. A partial solar eclipse on July 11. A total lunar eclipse on July 26. A partial solar eclipse on August 9.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 13, 1949 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 18, 1956
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 19, 1945 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 13, 1960
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 25, 1944 Followed by: Solar eclipse of February 5, 1962
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 3, 1942 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 30, 1963
Lunar Saros 123 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 19, 1935 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 10, 1971
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 20, 1924 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 9, 1982
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 31, 1866 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 30, 2039
Lunar eclipses of 1951–1955
Saros 123
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 130.
January 25, 1944February 5, 1962
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links