May 2021 lunar eclipse
Total eclipse | |||||||||||||||||
Date | May 26, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gamma | 0.4774 | ||||||||||||||||
Magnitude | 1.0112 | ||||||||||||||||
Saros cycle | 121 (55 of 82) | ||||||||||||||||
Totality | 14 minutes, 30 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
Partiality | 187 minutes, 25 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
Penumbral | 302 minutes, 2 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Wednesday, May 26, 2021,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.0112. 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 14 hours after perigee (on May 25, 2021, at 21:50 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[2]
It was the first total lunar eclipse since the January 2019 lunar eclipse, and the first in a series of an almost tetrad (with four consecutive total or deep partial lunar eclipses).[3] The next total eclipse occurred in May 2022. The event took place near lunar perigee; as a result, this supermoon was referred to in US media coverage as a "super flower blood moon",[Note 1][4][5] and elsewhere as a "super blood moon".[6][7]
This lunar eclipse was the first of an almost tetrad, with the others being on November 19, 2021 (partial); May 16, 2022 (total); and November 8, 2022 (total).
Visibility
[edit]The eclipse was completely visible over Australia and the central Pacific Ocean, seen rising over south and east Asia and setting over North and South America.[8]
Visibility map |
Timing
[edit]Local times are recomputed here for the time zones of the areas where the eclipse was visible:
Time Zone adjustments from UTC |
+8h | +10h | +12h | -10h | -8h | -7h | -6h | -5h | -4h | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AWST | AEST | NZST | HST | AKDT | PDT | MDT | CDT | EDT | |||||
Event | Evening 26 May / Morning 27 May | Morning 26 May | |||||||||||
P1 | Penumbral began | 4:48 pm | 6:48 pm | 8:48 pm | 10:48 pm | 12:48 am | 1:48 am | 2:48 am | 3:48 am | 4:48 am | |||
U1 | Partial began | 5:45 pm | 7:45 pm | 9:45 pm | 11:45 pm | 1:45 am | 2:45 am | 3:45 am | 4:45 am | 5:16 am | |||
U2 | Total began | 7:11 pm | 9:11 pm | 11:11 pm | 1:11 am | 3:11 am | 4:11 am | 5:11 am | 6:11 am | Set | |||
Greatest eclipse | 7:19 pm | 9:19 pm | 11:19 pm | 1:19 am | 3:19 am | 4:19 am | 5:19 am | 6:19 am | Set | ||||
U3 | Total ended | 7:26 pm | 9:26 pm | 11:26 pm | 1:26 am | 3:26 am | 4:26 am | 5:26 am | Set | Set | |||
U4 | Partial ended | 8:52 pm | 10:52 pm | 12:52 am | 2:52 am | 4:52 am | Set | Set | Set | Set | |||
P4 | Penumbral ended | 9:50 pm | 11:50 pm | 1:50 am | 3:50 am | 5:50 am | Set | Set | Set | Set |
[9]
| The timing of total lunar eclipses are determined by its contacts:
Gallery
[edit]-
Garrett County, Maryland, 9:43 UTC
-
Minneapolis, Minnesota, 10:19 UTC
-
Berwick Forest, New Zealand, 10:52 UTC
-
Taoyuan, Taiwan, 11:02 UTC
-
Banyuwangi, Indonesia, 11:03 UTC
-
Canberra, Australia, 11:11 UTC
-
Manila, Philippines, 11:13 UTC
-
Laguna, Philippines, 11:15 UTC
-
Geelong, Victoria, 11:23 UTC
-
Tarlac, Philippines, 11:32 UTC
-
Kediri, Indonesia, 11:32 UTC
-
Magetan, Indonesia, 11:34 UTC
-
New South Wales, Australia, 12:01 UTC
-
New South Wales, Australia, 12:21 UTC
-
Chennai, India, 13:27 UTC
Eclipse details
[edit]Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[10]
Parameter | Value |
---|---|
Penumbral Magnitude | 1.95575 |
Umbral Magnitude | 1.01120 |
Gamma | 0.47741 |
Sun Right Ascension | 04h14m03.6s |
Sun Declination | +21°12'25.4" |
Sun Semi-Diameter | 15'47.3" |
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.7" |
Moon Right Ascension | 16h14m37.8s |
Moon Declination | -20°44'15.0" |
Moon Semi-Diameter | 16'42.9" |
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 1°01'20.5" |
ΔT | 70.0 s |
Eclipse season
[edit]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.
May 26 Descending node (full moon) |
June 10 Ascending node (new moon) |
---|---|
Total lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 121 |
Annular solar eclipse Solar Saros 147 |
Related eclipses
[edit]Eclipses in 2021
[edit]- A total lunar eclipse on May 26.
- An annular solar eclipse on June 10.
- A partial lunar eclipse on November 19.
- A total solar eclipse on December 4.
Metonic
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 7, 2017
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 14, 2025
Tzolkinex
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 15, 2014
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 6, 2028
Half-Saros
[edit]- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of May 20, 2012
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of June 1, 2030
Tritos
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 26, 2010
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 25, 2032
Lunar Saros 121
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 16, 2003
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 6, 2039
Inex
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 15, 1992
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 6, 2050
Triad
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 26, 1934
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 27, 2108
Lunar eclipses of 2020–2023
[edit]Lunar eclipse series sets from 2020–2023 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Descending node | Ascending node | |||||||
Saros | Date | Type Viewing |
Gamma | Saros | Date Viewing |
Type Chart |
Gamma | |
111 |
2020 Jun 05 |
Penumbral |
1.24063 | 116 |
2020 Nov 30 |
Penumbral |
−1.13094 | |
121 |
2021 May 26 |
Total |
0.47741 | 126 |
2021 Nov 19 |
Partial |
−0.45525 | |
131 |
2022 May 16 |
Total |
−0.25324 | 136 |
2022 Nov 08 |
Total |
0.25703 | |
141 |
2023 May 05 |
Penumbral |
−1.03495 | 146 |
2023 Oct 28 |
Partial |
0.94716 | |
Last set | 2020 Jul 05 | Last set | 2020 Jan 10 | |||||
Next set | 2024 Mar 25 | Next set | 2024 Sep 18 |
Saros 121
[edit]This eclipse was the 55th eclipse and final total eclipse of Saros cycle 121.[11]
Metonic series
[edit]First eclipse: May 26, 2002 Second eclipse: May 26, 2021. Third eclipse: May 26, 2040. Fourth eclipse: May 27, 2059.
Half-Saros cycle
[edit]A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).[12] This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 128.
May 20, 2012 | June 1, 2030 |
---|---|
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ A full moon occurring in May has been termed a "Flower moon" in the US as recorded in the Old Farmer's Almanac.
References
[edit]- ^ "May 25–26, 2021 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)". timeanddate. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "26 May 2021 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)". timeanddate.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ^ Look up! The Super Flower Blood Moon lunar eclipse is coming 26 May Archived 2021-05-24 at the Wayback Machine www.space.com
- ^ "The 'Super Flower Blood Moon' Is About to Light Up Skies! How to Watch This Week's Celestial Event". People.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ "Sydney takes 'pole position' in rare super blood moon display". smh.com.au. 26 May 2021. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- ^ "Catch the super flower blood moon last night? It may not have been all it was cracked up to be". abc.net.au. 26 May 2021. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 2021 May 26" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ Clarke, Kevin. "On the nature of eclipses". Inconstant Moon. Cyclopedia Selenica. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
- ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 2021 May 26". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 26 May, 2021 AD". moonblink.info. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
Media related to Lunar eclipse of 2021 May 26 at Wikimedia Commons