A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Saturday, September 26, 1931, with an umbral magnitude of 1.3208. 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 only about 8 hours before apogee (on September 27, 1931, at 3:40 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
This was the last central lunar eclipse of Lunar Saros 126.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over east Africa, eastern Europe, and west, central, south, and southeast Asia, seen rising over west Africa, western Europe, South America, and northeastern North America and setting over east and northeast Asia and Australia.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+September 26, 1931 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.40586 Umbral Magnitude 1.32082 Gamma −0.26978 Sun Right Ascension 12h10m06.0s Sun Declination -01°05'41.6" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'57.4" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.8" Moon Right Ascension 00h10m34.4s Moon Declination +00°52'59.0" Moon Semi-Diameter 14'42.4" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°53'58.3" ΔT 24.0 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 September–October 1931 September 12Descending node (new moon) September 26Ascending node (full moon) October 11Descending node (new moon) Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 114 Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 126 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 152
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1931 A total lunar eclipse on April 2. A partial solar eclipse on April 18. A partial solar eclipse on September 12. A total lunar eclipse on September 26. A partial solar eclipse on October 11.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 8, 1927 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 16, 1935
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 14, 1924 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 7, 1938
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of September 21, 1922 Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 1, 1940
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 27, 1920 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 26, 1942
Lunar Saros 126 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 15, 1913 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 7, 1949
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 17, 1902 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 5, 1960
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 24, 1844 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 27, 2018
Lunar eclipses of 1930–1933
Saros 126
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 133. September 21, 1922October 1, 1940
See also List of lunar eclipses and List of 21st-century lunar eclipses
References
External links Saros series 126