October 2014 lunar eclipse

October 2014 lunar eclipse
Total eclipse
Totality as viewed from Lomita, California, 10:55 UTC
DateOctober 8, 2014
Gamma0.3826
Magnitude1.1670
Saros cycle127 (42 of 72)
Totality58 minutes, 50 seconds
Partiality199 minutes, 31 seconds
Penumbral318 minutes, 3 seconds
Contacts (UTC)
P18:15:36
U19:14:48
U210:25:09
Greatest10:54:35
U311:23:59
U412:34:19
P413:33:39

A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Wednesday, October 8, 2014,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.1670. 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 2.2 days after perigee (on October 6, 2014, at 5:40 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[2]

This lunar eclipse is the second of a tetrad, with four total lunar eclipses in series, the others being on April 15, 2014; April 4, 2015; and September 28, 2015.

Background

Main article: Lunar eclipse

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes within Earth's umbra (shadow). As the eclipse begins, the Earth's shadow first darkens the Moon slightly. Then, the shadow begins to "cover" part of the Moon, turning it a dark red-brown color (typically - the color can vary based on atmospheric conditions). The Moon appears to be reddish because of Rayleigh scattering (the same effect that causes sunsets to appear reddish) and the refraction of that light by the Earth's atmosphere into its umbra.[3] The following simulation shows the approximate appearance of the Moon passing through the Earth's shadow. The Moon's brightness is exaggerated within the umbral shadow. The southern portion of the Moon was closest to the center of the shadow, making it darkest, and most red in appearance.

The planet Uranus was near opposition (opposition on 7 October[4]) during the eclipse, just over 1° from the eclipsed Moon. Shining at magnitude 5.7, Uranus should have been bright enough to identify in binoculars. Due to parallax, the position of Uranus relative to the Moon varied significantly depending on the viewing position on the surface of Earth.

Visibility and appearance

NASA chart of the eclipse

The eclipse was completely visible over northeast Asia, eastern Australia, the Pacific Ocean, and western North America, seen rising over Asia and much of Australia and setting over North and South America.[5]

The eclipse was visible in its entirety over the Northern Pacific. Viewers in North America experienced the eclipse after midnight on Wednesday, October 8, and the eclipse was visible from the Philippines, western Pacific, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, and eastern Asia after sunset on the evening of October 8. Many areas of North America experienced a selenelion, able to see both the sun and the eclipsed moon at the same time.[6]

The MESSENGER spacecraft from orbit at the planet Mercury which was 107 million kilometers away from Earth at the time also observed the eclipse, making it the first lunar eclipse in history to be observed from another planet.[7][8]


Visibility map

Timing

Local times of contacts
Time zone
adjustments from
UTC 		+8h +11h +13h -9h -8h -7h -6h -5h -4h -3h
AWST AEDT NZDT HADT AKDT PDT MDT CDT
PET 		EDT
BOT 		ADT
AMST
ART
Event Evening 8 October Evening 7 October Morning 8 October
P1 Penumbral begins N/A† 7:16 pm 9:16 pm 11:16 pm 12:16 am 1:16 am 2:16 am 3:16 am 4:16 am 5:16 am
U1 Partial begins N/A† 8:15 pm 10:15 pm 12:15 am 1:15 am 2:15 am 3:15 am 4:15 am 5:15 am 6:15 am
U2 Total begins 6:25 pm 9:25 pm 11:25 pm 1:25 am 2:25 am 3:25 am 4:25 am 5:25 am 6:25 am 7:25 am
Greatest eclipse 6:55 pm 9:55 pm 11:55 pm 1:55 am 2:55 am 3:55 am 4:55 am 5:55 am 6:55 am Set
U3 Total ends 7:24 pm 10:24 pm 12:24 am 2:24 am 3:24 am 4:24 am 5:24 am 6:24 am Set Set
U4 Partial ends 8:34 pm 11:34 pm 1:34 am 3:34 am 4:34 am 5:34 am 6:34 am Set Set Set
P4 Penumbral ends 9:34 pm 12:34 am 2:34 am 4:34 am 5:34 am 6:34 am Set Set Set Set

† The Moon was not visible during this part of the eclipse in this time zone.

Contact points relative to the earth's umbral and penumbral shadows, here with the moon near is descending node
The timing of total lunar eclipses are determined by its contacts:[9]
  • P1 (First contact): Beginning of the penumbral eclipse. Earth's penumbra touches the Moon's outer limb.
  • U1 (Second contact): Beginning of the partial eclipse. Earth's umbra touches the Moon's outer limb.
  • U2 (Third contact): Beginning of the total eclipse. The Moon's surface is entirely within Earth's umbra.
  • Greatest eclipse: The peak stage of the total eclipse. The Moon is at its closest to the center of Earth's umbra.
  • U3 (Fourth contact): End of the total eclipse. The Moon's outer limb exits Earth's umbra.
  • U4 (Fifth contact): End of the partial eclipse. Earth's umbra leaves the Moon's surface.
  • P4 (Sixth contact): End of the penumbral eclipse. Earth's penumbra no longer makes contact with the Moon.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lunar eclipse of 2014 October 8.

Composite from Aichi prefecture, Japan
Composite from Coralville, IA, first contact to the greatest.
Selenelion from Minneapolis, MN, with a partially eclipsed moon still up after sunrise, 12:26 UTC, seen by sunlight on foreground trees, right.
  • Minneapolis, MN, 9:46 UTC, triple exposure
    Minneapolis, MN, 9:46 UTC, triple exposure
  • Before the beginning of total eclipse, Valdosta, GA, 10:02 UTC
    Before the beginning of total eclipse, Valdosta, GA, 10:02 UTC
  • Aichi Prefecture, Japan, 10:26 UTC
    Aichi Prefecture, Japan, 10:26 UTC
  • California, 10:39 UTC
    California, 10:39 UTC
  • Aichi Prefecture, Japan, 10:41 UTC
    Aichi Prefecture, Japan, 10:41 UTC
  • The eclipse with Uranus in Minneapolis, 10:46 UTC
    The eclipse with Uranus in Minneapolis, 10:46 UTC
  • After the end of total eclipse, Santa Clara County, CA, 11:28 UTC
    After the end of total eclipse, Santa Clara County, CA, 11:28 UTC
  • Partial phase of the eclipse, Hefei, China, 12:18 UTC
    Partial phase of the eclipse, Hefei, China, 12:18 UTC
  • Minneapolis, MN, 12:24 UTC
    Minneapolis, MN, 12:24 UTC
  • Lunar eclipse as viewed from Mercury, captured from the MESSENGER spacecraft. The Moon can be seen falling into the shadow of Earth. This movie was constructed from 31 images taken two minutes apart, from 9:18 UTC to 10:18 UTC.
    Lunar eclipse as viewed from Mercury, captured from the MESSENGER spacecraft. The Moon can be seen falling into the shadow of Earth. This movie was constructed from 31 images taken two minutes apart, from 9:18 UTC to 10:18 UTC.

Eclipse details

Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[10]

October 8, 2014 Lunar Eclipse Parameters
Parameter Value
Penumbral Magnitude 2.14667
Umbral Magnitude 1.16698
Gamma 0.38267
Sun Right Ascension 12h55m34.3s
Sun Declination -05°56'30.7"
Sun Semi-Diameter 16'00.4"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.8"
Moon Right Ascension 00h55m07.2s
Moon Declination +06°18'26.7"
Moon Semi-Diameter 16'20.3"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°59'57.9"
ΔT 67.5 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.

Eclipse season of October 2014
October 8
Descending node (full moon)
 October 23
Ascending node (new moon)
Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 127		 Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 153

Eclipses in 2014

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Lunar Saros 127

Inex

Triad

Lunar eclipses of 2013–2016

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.[11]

The penumbral lunar eclipse on May 25, 2013 occurs in the previous lunar year eclipse set, and the penumbral lunar eclipse on August 18, 2016 occurs in the next lunar year eclipse set.

Lunar eclipse series sets from 2013 to 2016
Ascending node   Descending node
Saros Date
Viewing 		Type
Chart 		Gamma Saros Date
Viewing 		Type
Chart 		Gamma
112
 2013 Apr 25
 Partial
 −1.0121 117
 2013 Oct 18
 Penumbral
 1.1508
122
 2014 Apr 15
 Total
 −0.3017 127
 2014 Oct 08
 Total
 0.3827
132
 2015 Apr 04
 Total
 0.4460 137
 2015 Sep 28
 Total
 −0.3296
142 2016 Mar 23
 Penumbral
 1.1592 147
 2016 Sep 16
 Penumbral
 −1.0549

Saros 127

Lunar saros series 127, repeating every 18 years and 11 days, has a total of 72 lunar eclipse events including 54 umbral lunar eclipses (38 partial lunar eclipses and 16 total lunar eclipses). Solar Saros 134 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros series.

Greatest First

The greatest eclipse of the series occurred on 1888 Jul 23, lasting 102 minutes. 		Penumbral Partial Total Central
1275 Jul 09 1473 Nov 04 1798 May 29 1834 Jun 21
Last
Central Total Partial Penumbral
1960 Sep 05 2068 Nov 09 2429 Jun 17 2555 Sep 02
1901–2100
1906 Aug 04 1924 Aug 14 1942 Aug 26
1960 Sep 05 1978 Sep 16 1996 Sep 27
2014 Oct 08 2032 Oct 18 2050 Oct 30
2068 Nov 09

Half-Saros cycle

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 134.

October 3, 2005 October 14, 2023

See also

References

  1. ^ "October 7–8, 2014 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)". timeanddate. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  3. ^ Fred Espenak & Jean Meeus. "Visual Appearance of Lunar Eclipses". NASA. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 2014 Oct 08" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  6. ^ Boyle, Alan (7 October 2014). "Lunar Eclipse Provides an Extra Twist for Skywatchers: Selenelion". NBC News. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  7. ^ "Lunar Eclipse From Mercury". NASA. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  8. ^ "From Mercury orbit, MESSENGER watches a lunar eclipse". Planetary Society. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  9. ^ Clarke, Kevin. "On the nature of eclipses". Inconstant Moon. Cyclopedia Selenica. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  10. ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 2014 Oct 08". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros