A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Tuesday, January 19, 1954, with an umbral magnitude of 1.0322. 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 6.4 days before apogee (on January 25, 1954, at 12:20 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over much of North and South America, west Africa, and Europe, seen rising over western North America and the eastern Pacific Ocean and setting over southern and east Africa and much of Asia.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+January 19, 1954 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.08525 Umbral Magnitude 1.03216 Gamma −0.43573 Sun Right Ascension 20h02m25.4s Sun Declination -20°28'09.9" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'15.3" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 08h01m54.0s Moon Declination +20°04'36.5" Moon Semi-Diameter 15'26.2" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°56'39.0" ΔT 30.7 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 1954 January 5Ascending node (new moon) January 19Descending node (full moon) Annular solar eclipseSolar Saros 121 Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 133
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1954 An annular solar eclipse on January 5. A total lunar eclipse on January 19. A total solar eclipse on June 30. A partial lunar eclipse on July 16. An annular solar eclipse on December 25.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 2, 1950 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 7, 1957
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 8, 1946 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 2, 1961
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 14, 1945 Followed by: Solar eclipse of January 25, 1963
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 20, 1943 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 19, 1964
Lunar Saros 133 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 8, 1936 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 30, 1972
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 8, 1925 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 30, 1982
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 20, 1867 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 18, 2040
Lunar eclipses of 1951–1955
Saros 133
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 140.
January 14, 1945January 25, 1963
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links