June 1964 lunar eclipse

June 1964 lunar eclipse
Total eclipse
The Moon's hourly motion shown right to left
DateJune 25, 1964
Gamma−0.1461
Magnitude1.5565
Saros cycle129 (35 of 71)
Totality100 minutes, 47 seconds
Partiality233 minutes, 14 seconds
Penumbral372 minutes, 5 seconds
Contacts (UTC)
P122:00:11
U123:09:37
U20:15:51
Greatest1:06:14
U31:56:38
U43:02:52
P44:12:16

A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Thursday, June 25, 1964,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.5565. 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 about 1.5 days after apogee (on June 23, 1964, at 12:30 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.[2]

Visibility

The eclipse was completely visible over much of South America, western Europe, and west, central, and southern Africa, seen rising over much of North America and northwestern South America and setting over much of Europe, northeast Africa, the western half of Asia, and western Australia.[3]

Eclipse details

Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[4]

June 25, 1964 Lunar Eclipse Parameters
Parameter Value
Penumbral Magnitude 2.62384
Umbral Magnitude 1.55649
Gamma −0.14611
Sun Right Ascension 06h15m16.1s
Sun Declination +23°23'50.0"
Sun Semi-Diameter 15'44.1"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7"
Moon Right Ascension 18h15m13.5s
Moon Declination -23°31'42.9"
Moon Semi-Diameter 14'44.5"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°54'06.1"
ΔT 35.4 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 June–July 1964
June 10
Ascending node (new moon)
June 25
Descending node (full moon)
July 9
Ascending node (new moon)
Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 117
Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 129
Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 155

Eclipses in 1964

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Lunar Saros 129

Inex

Triad

Lunar eclipses of 1962–1965

This eclipse is a member of a semester series. An eclipse in a semester series of lunar eclipses repeats approximately every 177 days and 4 hours (a semester) at alternating nodes of the Moon's orbit.[5]

The penumbral lunar eclipses on February 19, 1962 and August 15, 1962 occur in the previous lunar year eclipse set.

Lunar eclipse series sets from 1962 to 1965
Descending node   Ascending node
Saros Date
Viewing
Type
Chart
Gamma Saros Date
Viewing
Type
Chart
Gamma
109 1962 Jul 17
Penumbral
1.3371 114 1963 Jan 09
Penumbral
−1.0128
119 1963 Jul 06
Partial
0.6197 124 1963 Dec 30
Total
−0.2889
129 1964 Jun 25
Total
−0.1461 134 1964 Dec 19
Total
0.3801
139 1965 Jun 14
Partial
−0.9006 144 1965 Dec 08
Penumbral
1.0775

Saros 129

Lunar saros series 129, repeating every 18 years and 11 days, containing 71 events, has 11 total lunar eclipses. The first total lunar eclipse of this series was on May 24, 1910, and last will be on September 8, 2090. The longest occurrence of this series was on July 16, 2000 when totality lasted 106 minutes and 24.6 seconds.

Greatest First

The greatest eclipse of the series occurred on 2000 Jul 16, lasting 106 minutes.
Penumbral Partial Total Central
1351 Jun 10 1513 Sep 15 1910 May 24 1946 Jun 14
Last
Central Total Partial Penumbral
2036 Aug 7 2090 Sep 8 2469 Apr 26 2613 Jul 24
1901–2100
1910 May 24 1928 Jun 3 1946 Jun 14
1964 Jun 25 1982 Jul 6 2000 Jul 16
2018 Jul 27 2036 Aug 7 2054 Aug 18
2072 Aug 28 2090 Sep 8

It last occurred on June 14, 1946 and will next occur on July 6, 1982.

This is the 35th member of Lunar Saros 129. The previous event was the June 1946 lunar eclipse. The next event is the July 1982 lunar eclipse. Lunar Saros 129 contains 11 total lunar eclipses between 1910 and 2090. Solar Saros 136 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros 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).[6] This lunar eclipse is related to two total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 136.

June 20, 1955 June 30, 1973

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "June 24–25, 1964 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)". timeanddate. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  2. ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  3. ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 1964 Jun 25" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  4. ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 1964 Jun 25". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  5. ^ van Gent, R.H. "Solar- and Lunar-Eclipse Predictions from Antiquity to the Present". A Catalogue of Eclipse Cycles. Utrecht University. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  6. ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros