August 1971 lunar eclipse

Last updated
August 1971 lunar eclipse
Total eclipse
Date6 August 1971
Gamma −0.07944
Magnitude 1.72830
Saros cycle 128 (38 of 71)
Totality99 minutes, 24.8 seconds
Partiality215 minutes, 31.9 seconds
Penumbral327 minutes, 33.3 seconds
Contacts (UTC)
P116:59:26.4
U117:55:25.2
U218:53:28.4
Greatest19:43:10.3
U320:32:53.2
U421:30:57.1
P422:26:49.7

A total lunar eclipse took place on Friday, August 6, 1971, the second of two total lunar eclipses in 1971. A dramatic total eclipse lasting 1 hour, 39 minutes and 24.8 seconds plunged the full Moon into deep darkness, as it passed right through the centre of the Earth's umbral shadow. While the visual effect of a total eclipse is variable, the Moon may have been stained a deep orange or red colour at maximum eclipse. This was a great spectacle for everyone who saw it. The partial eclipse lasted for 3 hours, 35 minutes and 31.9 seconds in total. Occurring only 2.2 days before perigee (Perigee on Monday, August 9, 1971), the Moon's apparent diameter was 3.6% larger than average and the moon passed through the center of the Earth's shadow.

Contents

Visibility

It was completely visible over Africa and Asia, rising over South America, and setting over Australia.

Lunar eclipse from moon-1971Aug06.png

Relation to other lunar eclipses

Lunar year series

Lunar eclipse series sets from 1969–1973
Ascending node Descending node
Saros Date
Viewing
Type
Chart
GammaSarosDate
Viewing
Type
Chart
Gamma
108 1969 Aug 27
Lunar eclipse from moon-1969Aug27.png
Penumbral
Lunar eclipse chart close-1969Aug27.png
−1.54066113 1970 Feb 21
Lunar eclipse from moon-1970Feb21.png
Partial
Lunar eclipse chart close-1970Feb21.png
0.96198
118 1970 Aug 17
Lunar eclipse from moon-1970Aug17.png
Partial
Lunar eclipse chart close-1970Aug17.png
−0.80534123 1971 Feb 10
Lunar eclipse from moon-1971Feb10.png
Total
Lunar eclipse chart close-1971Feb10.png
0.27413
128 1971 Aug 6
Lunar eclipse from moon-1971Aug06.png
Total
Lunar eclipse chart close-1971Aug06.png
−0.07944133 1972 Jan 30
Lunar eclipse from moon-1972Jan30.png
Total
Lunar eclipse chart close-1972Jan30.png
−0.42729
138 1972 Jul 26
Lunar eclipse from moon-1972Jul26.png
Partial
Lunar eclipse chart close-1972Jul26.png
0.71167143 1973 Jan 18
Lunar eclipse from moon-1973Jan18.png
Penumbral
Lunar eclipse chart close-1973Jan18.png
−1.08446
148 1973 Jul 15
Lunar eclipse from moon-1973Jul15.png
Penumbral
Lunar eclipse chart close-1973Jul15.png
1.51782
Last set 1969 Sep 25 Last set 1969 Apr 2
Next set 1973 Jun 15 Next set 1973 Dec 10

Saros series

Lunar saros series 128, repeating every 18 years and 11 days, has a total of 71 lunar eclipse events including 57 umbral eclipses (42 partial lunar eclipses and 15 total lunar eclipses). Solar Saros 135 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros series.

GreatestFirst
Lunar eclipse chart close-1953Jul26.png
The greatest eclipse of the series occurred on 1953 Jul 26, lasting 108 minutes. [1]
PenumbralPartialTotalCentral
1304 Jun 181430 Sep 21845 May 21 1899 Jun 23
Last
CentralTotalPartialPenumbral
2007 Aug 28 2097 May 21 2440 May 172566 Aug 2
1901–2100
1917 Jul 4 1935 Jul 16 1953 Jul 26
Lunar eclipse chart close-1917Jul04.png Lunar eclipse from moon-1917Jul04.png Lunar eclipse chart close-1935Jul16.png Lunar eclipse from moon-1935Jul16.png Lunar eclipse chart close-1953Jul26.png Lunar eclipse from moon-1953Jul26.png
1971 Aug 6 1989 Aug 17 2007 Aug 28
Lunar eclipse chart close-1971Aug06.png Lunar eclipse from moon-1971Aug06.png Lunar eclipse chart close-1989Aug17.png Lunar eclipse from moon-1989Aug17.png Lunar eclipse chart close-2007aug28.png Lunar eclipse from moon-2007Aug28.png
2025 Sep 7 2043 Sep 19 2061 Sep 29
Lunar eclipse chart close-2025Sep07.png Lunar eclipse from moon-2025Sep07.png Lunar eclipse chart close-2043Sep19.png Lunar eclipse from moon-2043Sep19.png Lunar eclipse chart close-2061Sep29.png Lunar eclipse from moon-2061Sep29.png
2079 Oct 10 2097 Oct 21
Lunar eclipse chart close-2079Oct10.png Lunar eclipse from moon-2079Oct10.png Lunar eclipse chart close-2097Oct21.png Lunar eclipse from moon-2097Oct21.png

Lunar Saros 128 contains 15 total lunar eclipses between 1845 and 2097 (in years 1845, 1863, 1881, 1899, 1917, 1935, 1953, 1971, 1989, 2007, 2025, 2043, 2061, 2079 and 2097). Solar Saros 135 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros series.

Inex series

The inex series repeats eclipses 20 days short of 29 years, repeating on average every 10571.95 days. This period is equal to 358 lunations (synodic months) and 388.5 draconic months. Saros series increment by one on successive Inex events and repeat at alternate ascending and descending lunar nodes.

This period is 383.6734 anomalistic months (the period of the Moon's elliptical orbital precession). Despite the average 0.05 time-of-day shift between subsequent events, the variation of the Moon in its elliptical orbit at each event causes the actual eclipse time to vary significantly. It is a part of Lunar Inex series 40.

All events in this series shown (from 1000 to 2500) are central total lunar eclipses.

Inex series from 1000–2500 AD
Descending nodeAscending nodeDescending nodeAscending node
Saros DateSarosDateSarosDateSarosDate
951016 May 24961045 May 3971074 Apr 14981103 Mar 25
991132 Mar 31001161 Feb 121011190 Jan 231021219 Jan 2
1031247 Dec 131041276 Nov 231051305 Nov 21061334 Oct 13
1071363 Sep 231081392 Sep 21091421 Aug 131101450 Jul 24
1111479 Jul 4112 1508 Jun 13
Lunar eclipse chart close-1509Jun13.png
1131537 May 241141566 May 4
1151595 Apr 241161624 Apr 31171653 Mar 141181682 Feb 21
1191711 Feb 31201740 Jan 131211768 Dec 231221797 Dec 4
1231826 Nov 141241855 Oct 251251884 Oct 4126 1913 Sep 15
Lunar eclipse chart close-1913Sep15.png
127 1942 Aug 26
Lunar eclipse chart close-1942Aug26.png
128 1971 Aug 6
Lunar eclipse chart close-1971Aug06.png
129 2000 Jul 16
Lunar eclipse chart close-2000jul16.png
130 2029 Jun 26
Lunar eclipse chart close-29jun26.png
131 2058 Jun 6
Lunar eclipse chart close-2058Jun06.png
132 2087 May 17
Lunar eclipse chart close-2087May17.png
1332116 Apr 271342145 Apr 7
1352174 Mar 181362203 Feb 261372232 Feb 71382261 Jan 17
1392289 Dec 271402318 Dec 91412347 Nov 191422376 Oct 28
1432405 Oct 81442434 Sep 181452463 Aug 29146 2492 Aug 8
Lunar eclipse chart close-2492Aug08.png

Half-Saros cycle

A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros). [2] This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 135.

July 31, 1962 August 10, 1980
SE1962Jul31A.png SE1980Aug10A.png

See also

Notes

  1. Listing of Eclipses of cycle 128
  2. Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March 2026 lunar eclipse</span> Total lunar eclipse of 2 March 2026

A total lunar eclipse will take place on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, the first of two lunar eclipses in 2026.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">August 1989 lunar eclipse</span> Total lunar eclipse August 17, 1989

A total lunar eclipse took place at 0308 UT (GMT) on Thursday, August 17, 1989, the second of two total lunar eclipses in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March 1997 lunar eclipse</span> Partial lunar eclipse March 30, 1997

A partial lunar eclipse took place on Monday, March 24, 1997, the first of two lunar eclipses in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May 2040 lunar eclipse</span> 2040 astronomical phenomenon

A total lunar eclipse will take place on May 26, 2040. The northern limb of the moon will pass through the center of the Earth's shadow. This is the second central lunar eclipse of Saros series 131.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June 2029 lunar eclipse</span> Future lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse will take place between Monday and Tuesday, June 25-26, 2029. A central total eclipse lasting 1 hour and 41 minutes 53 seconds will plunge the full Moon into deep darkness, as it passes right through the centre of the Earth's umbral shadow. While the visual effect of a total eclipse is variable, the Moon may be stained a deep orange or red color at maximum eclipse. It will be able to be seen from most of the Americas, Western Europe and Africa. The partial eclipse will last for 3 hours and 39 minutes 32 seconds in total.

A total lunar eclipse took place on Tuesday, July 6, 1982, the second of three total lunar eclipses in 1982, and the only one that was in the descending node. A dramatic total eclipse lasting 1 hour and 46 minutes plunged the full Moon into deep darkness, as it passed right through the centre of the Earth's umbral shadow. While the visual effect of a total eclipse is variable, the Moon may have been stained a deep orange or red colour at maximum eclipse. This was a great spectacle for everyone who saw it. The partial eclipse lasted for 3 hours and 56 minutes in total.

A total lunar eclipse took place on Thursday, April 24, 1986, the first of two total lunar eclipses in 1986, the second being on October 17, 1986. The Moon was plunged into darkness for 1 hour, 3 minutes and 34.8 seconds, in a deep total eclipse which saw the Moon 20.217% of its diameter inside the Earth's umbral shadow. The visual effect of this depends on the state of the Earth's atmosphere, but the Moon may have been stained a deep red colour. The partial eclipse lasted for 3 hours, 18 minutes and 46.8 seconds in total. The Moon was just 1.2 days before perigee, making it 5.3% larger than average.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">September 2025 lunar eclipse</span> Total lunar eclipse of September 2025.

A total lunar eclipse will take place between Sunday, September 7 and Monday, September 8, 2025. The Moon will barely miss the center of the Earth's shadow. It will be the second of two total lunar eclipses. Occurring roughly 3 days before perigee, the Moon will appear larger than usual.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May 1939 lunar eclipse</span> Total lunar eclipse May 3, 1939

A total lunar eclipse took place on Wednesday, May 3, 1939. A shallow total eclipse saw the Moon in relative darkness for 1 hour and 2 minutes. The Moon was 18% of its diameter into the Earth's umbral shadow, and should have been significantly darkened. The partial eclipse lasted for 3 hours and 27 minutes in total.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">April 1968 lunar eclipse</span> Total lunar eclipse April 13, 1968

A total lunar eclipse took place on Saturday, April 13, 1968, the first of two total eclipses in 1968, the second being on October 6, 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June 2058 lunar eclipse</span>

A total lunar eclipse will take place on June 6, 2058. The moon will pass through the center of the Earth's shadow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">July 1953 lunar eclipse</span> Total lunar eclipse July 26, 1953

A total lunar eclipse took place on Sunday, July 26, 1953.

A total lunar eclipse took place on Monday, September 15, 1913. The moon passed through the center of the Earth's shadow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">August 1942 lunar eclipse</span> Total lunar eclipse August 26, 1942

A total lunar eclipse took place on Wednesday, August 26, 1942. The moon passed through the center of the Earth's shadow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May 2087 lunar eclipse</span>

A total lunar eclipse will take place on May 17, 2087. The moon will pass through the center of the Earth's shadow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">September 2043 lunar eclipse</span>

A total lunar eclipse will take place on September 19, 2043.

A total lunar eclipse took place at the Moon's descending node of the orbit on Tuesday, May 24, 1910 with an umbral eclipse magnitude of 1.09503. A total lunar eclipse takes place when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon and its shadow covers the Moon. Eclipse watchers can see the Moon turn red when the eclipse reaches totality. Total eclipses of the Moon happen at Full Moon when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned to form a line. The astronomical term for this type of alignment is syzygy, which comes from the Greek word for being paired together. The Moon does not have its own light but shines because its surface reflects the Sun's rays. During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon and blocks any direct sunlight from reaching the Moon. The Sun casts the Earth's shadow on the Moon's surface. A shallow total eclipse saw the Moon in relative darkness for 49 minutes and 29.5 seconds. The Moon was 9.503% of its diameter into the Earth's umbral shadow, and should have been significantly darkened. The partial eclipse lasted for 3 hours, 35 minutes and 22.9 seconds in total.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May 2069 lunar eclipse</span> Central lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse will take place on May 6, 2069. The eclipse will be a dark one with the southern tip of the moon passing through the center of the Earth's shadow. This is the first central eclipse of Saros series 132.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lunar Saros 128</span>

Saros cycle series 128 for lunar eclipses occurs at the moon's ascending node, repeating every 18 years 11 and 1/3 days. It contains 71 events. Solar saros 135 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">July 1935 lunar eclipse</span> Total lunar eclipse July 16, 1935

A total lunar eclipse took place on Tuesday, July 16, 1935. It was a central eclipse, passing through the darkest part of the shadow.