May 2013 lunar eclipse

May 2013 lunar eclipse
Penumbral eclipse
The Moon barely grazed the northern penumbral shadow of the Earth.
DateMay 25, 2013
Gamma1.5350
Magnitude−0.9322
Saros cycle150 (1 of 71)
Penumbral33 minutes, 34 seconds
Contacts (UTC)
P13:53:15
Greatest4:09:58
P44:26:49

A penumbral lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Saturday, May 25, 2013,[1] with an umbral magnitude of −0.9322. 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 only about 18 hours before perigee (on May 25, 2013, at 21:40 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[2]

This eclipse was visually imperceptible due to the small entry into the penumbral shadow. It also marked the beginning of Saros series 150.

Visibility

The eclipse was completely visible over much of North and South America, west Africa, and western Europe, seen rising over the central Pacific Ocean and western Canada and setting over central Europe and central Africa.[3]


Hourly motion shown right to left
The Moon's hourly motion across the Earth's shadow in the constellation of Scorpius.

Visibility map

Images

NASA chart of the eclipse

Eclipse details

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

May 25, 2013 Lunar Eclipse Parameters
Parameter Value
Penumbral Magnitude 0.01702
Umbral Magnitude −0.93215
Gamma 1.53512
Sun Right Ascension 04h08m32.9s
Sun Declination +20°58'05.1"
Sun Semi-Diameter 15'47.5"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7"
Moon Right Ascension 16h09m09.9s
Moon Declination -19°24'45.3"
Moon Semi-Diameter 16'38.2"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°01'03.5"
ΔT 67.1 s

Eclipse season

See also: Eclipse cycle

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 April–May 2013
April 25
Ascending node (full moon)
 May 10
Descending node (new moon)
 May 25
Ascending node (full moon)
Partial lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 112		 Annular solar eclipse
Solar Saros 138		 Penumbral lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 150

Eclipses in 2013

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Tritos

Lunar Saros 150

Inex

Triad

Lunar eclipses of 2009–2013

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 9, 2009 and August 6, 2009 occur in the previous lunar year eclipse set, and the lunar eclipses on April 25, 2013 (partial) and October 18, 2013 (penumbral) occur in the next lunar year eclipse set.

Lunar eclipse series sets from 2009 to 2013
Ascending node   Descending node
Saros Date
Viewing 		Type
Chart 		Gamma Saros Date
Viewing 		Type
Chart 		Gamma
110 2009 Jul 07
 Penumbral
 −1.4916 115
 2009 Dec 31
 Partial
 0.9766
120
 2010 Jun 26
 Partial
 −0.7091 125
 2010 Dec 21
 Total
 0.3214
130
 2011 Jun 15
 Total
 0.0897 135
 2011 Dec 10
 Total
 −0.3882
140
 2012 Jun 04
 Partial
 0.8248 145 2012 Nov 28
 Penumbral
 −1.0869
150 2013 May 25
 Penumbral
 1.5351

Saros 150

This is the first lunar eclipse of Saros series 150.[6] The next occurrence will also be a penumbral eclipse on 5 June 2031. Solar Saros 157 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros series.

Partial eclipses in series 150 will occur between 20 August 2157 and past the year 3000. Total eclipses will occur between 29 April 2572 and 28 August 2770.

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "May 24–25, 2013 Penumbral Lunar Eclipse". timeanddate. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Penumbral Lunar Eclipse of 2013 May 25" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Penumbral Lunar Eclipse of 2013 May 25". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 15 November 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. ^ "Saros Series of Lunar Eclipses".
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