A penumbral lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Friday, March 23, 1951, with an umbral magnitude of −0.3660. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when part or all of the Moon's near side passes into 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 about 3.9 days before perigee (on March 27, 1951, at 8:20 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
This eclipse was the second of four penumbral lunar eclipses in 1951, with the others occurring on February 21, August 17, and September 15.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over northeast Asia, eastern Australia, and western North America, seen rising over east and southeast Asia and western Australia and setting over eastern North America 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.
+March 23, 1951 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 0.64195 Umbral Magnitude −0.36599 Gamma −1.20994 Sun Right Ascension 00h07m18.6s Sun Declination +00°47'32.7" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'02.8" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.8" Moon Right Ascension 12h05m01.7s Moon Declination -01°49'23.5" Moon Semi-Diameter 15'55.2" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°58'25.6" ΔT 29.6 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. The first and last eclipse in this sequence is separated by one synodic month.
+ Eclipse season of February–March 1951 February 21Descending node (full moon) March 7Ascending node (new moon) March 23Descending node (full moon) Penumbral lunar eclipseLunar Saros 103 Annular solar eclipseSolar Saros 129 Penumbral lunar eclipseLunar Saros 141
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1951 A penumbral lunar eclipse on February 21. An annular solar eclipse on March 7. A penumbral lunar eclipse on March 23. A penumbral lunar eclipse on August 17. An annular solar eclipse on September 1. A penumbral lunar eclipse on September 15.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 3, 1947 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 8, 1955
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 9, 1944 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 3, 1958
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of March 16, 1942 Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 27, 1960
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 22, 1940 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 19, 1962
Lunar Saros 141 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 12, 1933 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 2, 1969
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 11, 1922 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 1, 1980
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 21, 1864 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 21, 2038
Lunar eclipses of 1948–1951
Saros 141
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 148. March 16, 1942March 27, 1960
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links