A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Sunday, December 8, 1946, with an umbral magnitude of 1.1639. 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 only about 6.5 hours before perigee (on December 9, 1946, at 0:15 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over central and eastern Europe, northeast Africa, Asia, and western Australia, seen rising over much of Africa and western Europe and setting over eastern Australia and northwestern North America.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+December 8, 1946 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.13370 Umbral Magnitude 1.16390 Gamma 0.38643 Sun Right Ascension 16h59m23.8s Sun Declination -22°42'56.8" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'14.4" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 04h59m03.0s Moon Declination +23°06'12.2" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'44.7" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°01'27.3" ΔT 27.8 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 1946 November 23Descending node (new moon) December 8Ascending node (full moon) Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 122 Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 134
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1946 A partial solar eclipse on January 3. A partial solar eclipse on May 30. A total lunar eclipse on June 14. A partial solar eclipse on June 29. A partial solar eclipse on November 23. A total lunar eclipse on December 8.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 20, 1943 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 26, 1950
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 28, 1939 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 19, 1954
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 2, 1937 Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 14, 1955
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 8, 1936 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 7, 1957
Lunar Saros 134 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 27, 1928 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 19, 1964
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 28, 1917 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 18, 1975
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 7, 1860 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 8, 2033
Lunar eclipses of 1944–1947
Saros 134
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 141. December 2, 1937December 14, 1955
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links