June 1928 lunar eclipse
total
DateJune 3, 1928
Gamma−0.3175
Magnitude1.2421
Saros ser128
Saros no33 of 71
Totality75 minutes, 16 seconds
Partiality222 minutes, 58 seconds
Penumbral365 minutes, 11 seconds
P 19:06:57
U 110:18:05
U 211:31:55
Greatest12:09:33
U 312:47:12
U 414:01:03
P 415:12:08
PreviousDecember 1927
NextNovember 1928

A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Sunday, June 3, 1928,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.2421. 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 2.1 days after apogee (on June 1, 1928, at 9:00 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.[2]

This lunar eclipse was the third of a tetrad, with four total lunar eclipses in series, the others being on June 15, 1927; December 8, 1927; and November 27, 1928.

Visibility

The eclipse was completely visible over Australia, Antarctica, and the central Pacific Ocean, seen rising over south and east Asia and setting over North and South America.[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 3, 1928 Lunar Eclipse Parameters
ParameterValue
Penumbral Magnitude2.30920
Umbral Magnitude1.24213
Gamma−0.31752
Sun Right Ascension04h44m44.7s
Sun Declination+22°19'20.2"
Sun Semi-Diameter15'45.9"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.7"
Moon Right Ascension16h44m27.8s
Moon Declination-22°36'06.1"
Moon Semi-Diameter14'46.4"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax0°54'13.2"
ΔT24.2 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 May–June 1928
May 19
Ascending node (new moon)
June 3
Descending node (full moon)
June 17
Ascending node (new moon)
Total solar eclipse
Solar Saros 117
Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 129
Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 155

Eclipses in 1928

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Lunar Saros 129

Inex

Triad

Lunar eclipses of 1926–1929

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 January 28, 1926 and July 25, 1926 occur in the previous lunar year eclipse set.

Lunar eclipse series sets from 1926 to 1929
Descending node Ascending node
SarosDate
Viewing
Type
Chart
GammaSarosDate
Viewing
Type
Chart
Gamma
1091926 Jun 25
Penumbral
1.18141141926 Dec 19
Penumbral
−1.0101
1191927 Jun 15
Total
0.45431241927 Dec 08
Total
−0.2796
1291928 Jun 03
Total
−0.31751341928 Nov 27
Total
0.3952
1391929 May 23
Penumbral
−1.06501441929 Nov 17
Penumbral
1.0947

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.

May 29, 1919June 8, 1937

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "June 3–4, 1928 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)". timeanddate. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  2. ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  3. ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 1928 Jun 03". NASA. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  4. ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 1928 Jun 03". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 16 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