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Solar eclipses on the Moon are caused when the planet Earth passes in front of the Sun and blocks its light. Viewers on Earth experience a lunar eclipse during a solar eclipse on the Moon.
These solar eclipses are only seen in the near side portion and smaller parts of the far side where Earth is seen during librations, these areas of the moon making up the visible portion of the Moon. Eclipses there are seen during the lunar sunrise and sunset and extend to the furthermost areas of the near side but mainly not in the polar areas of the Moon. While the Moon orbits Earth, Earth rotates once in nearly 24 hours, but its position at the sky is only in one position, as it never changes. This is in contrast to some other moons or other satellites orbiting other planets or dwarf planets and a few asteroids, even inside the Solar System. They are, however, very rare in the outer part of the Solar System.
The last solar eclipse on the Moon was a total eclipse on 8 November 2022, with the entire near side and tiny surroundings of the far side seeing totality. The next total eclipse won't be until March 2025.
Unlike the Earth, which sees its eclipse for up to two and a half hours, the longest eclipse that can be viewed in one area on the Moon lasts for up to five and a half hours. Some long eclipses on the Moon, however, usually last for about five hours in one area, with the Earth's shadow touching the Moon for a maximum of six hours.
Some eclipses are longer when the Earth is slightly closer to the Moon. During such on eclipses, the Moon is seen on Earth with its apparent diameter larger than the Sun's. Meanwhile, some eclipses are shorter when the Earth is slightly further away from the Moon. On Earth, the Moon is seen with its apparent diameter smaller than the Sun's.
Unlike the Earth, where its eclipses start and end at a different place, all of the Moon's solar eclipses begin in the westernmost parts of the near side and end in the easternmost parts of the near side.
Solar eclipses starting near and within the polar areas are always partial, while solar eclipses starting at or within the equator are always total.
In its eclipses, the penumbral shadow does not appear until it is around 25–30% obscuration. It becomes slightly darker when the Earth blocks the sunlight until it reaches totality in some eclipses.
In some eclipses, its penumbral shadow covers the whole surface, whereas the center of the Earth's shadow misses a portion of the Moon while every part of the Nearside sees a partial eclipse. These eclipses are very rare[ citation needed ]. The last century that not all parts of the near side and the surrounding parts of the far side saw only as partial was the 18th century. On Earth, they are seen as total penumbral eclipses.
The Moon passes a narrow path within the penumbra and outside the umbra. It can happen on the Earth's northern or southern penumbral edges.
These eclipses can last up to four and a half hours without having any part of the Moon, notably at its poles, reaching totality.
Unlike the Earth, which receives the smallest portion being inside the centre of the Moon's shadow during total solar eclipses, during total eclipses on the Moon, the center of the Earth's shadow covers the whole near side of the Moon and lasts much longer than on Earth, up to 1.8 hours. [3] Some total-partial eclipses have at most half or a part of the Moon being in the center of the Earth's shadow.
Unlike the Earth, whose umbral shadow appears black, as the Moon has no atmosphere, the surface appears not just black but red and brown, according to the Danjon scale. This is because the only sunlight available is refracted through the Earth's atmosphere on the edges of the Earth, forming an atmospheric ring. [1]
During eclipses with long totality, temperatures plunge on the moon but not in many of its seas. However, in some areas, the temperatures remain high. This especially applies to Oceanus Procellarum and Mare Tranquillitatis and mid to large craters, especially those with basalt floors and mostly in the middle portion of the Moon, some young craters, and a few distant large craters, notably Tycho (located at 43.31°S). [4] Some craters are slightly cooler but as warm as the surface and warmer than areas outside the basins such as Copernicus and Langrenus.
On the Moon, when there is a partial eclipse, a part of the Moon has a partial eclipse, either north or south. One example of this is when half of the Sun is blocked, north or south. In some partial eclipses when the center of the Earth's shadow misses the Moon, one hemisphere can have a partial eclipse while the other does not. In some eclipses, when the center of the Earth's shadow covers a part or most, one part has a total eclipse, and one part has a partial eclipse. Partial and total eclipses together with simply partial last for up to about six hours without having totality in all parts of the near side and a very small part of the far side next to the near side. Standalone partial and total eclipses between partial eclipses can last up to 3.5 hours. [3]
At the edges of the near side and a small surrounding part of the hard side where the Earth is mostly half- or partly-seen, in the west, some solar eclipses begin at sunrise, and the Sun is seen after sunrise. In some eclipses, the Sun is partially visible, partially eclipsed in others. In the east, some solar eclipses end at sunset, and the Sun is seen before sunset. In other eclipses, the Sun is partially visible.
It also occurs in several polar areas. In that part of the Moon, the Earth is seen in the high-altitude areas of craters, hills, and mountains, as well as a few areas such as lunar seas (also known as plains). In some areas, it is visible in deep craters and most of the surrounding lower-ground areas. In the middle parts, the Earth is never visible, and its eclipses are never seen as the crater and its mountains, including crater ones, block the view. In areas around seven to eight degrees near the far side, a part of the Earth's view is blocked. In some eclipses, this phenomenon begins not long after sunrise in the west and ends not long before sunset in the east. At that location, they are seen at higher altitudes and at most medium altitudes.
At the furthermost areas of the far side within the near side, a part of the Earth is seen but only in the highest portions.
About ninety-one percent of the far side never experiences solar eclipses as the Earth is never seen there because the limit of the view of the planet during librations is about eight degrees within the near side.[ citation needed ]
Eclipses are generally not seen in the fringes of the near side, within the far side, or in the lower and most of the middle parts. Around it, it is not seen in the lower parts. In that location and around it, the eclipses are never seen in most crater hollows or some of the lowest parts of some crater hollows. Eclipses are never seen in crater hollows in the polar regions where the sun never shines. Between the 75th and the 80th parallel north or south, eclipses are never seen in most crater hollows such as the middle and, notably, the lowest portions.
In early lunar history, after around 4.3 billion years, when the Moon was formed, it orbited closer to Earth. The totality of its eclipses lasted longer than current eclipses. Millions of years later, the totality shrank, and the partial portion of the eclipse was rising. Eclipses were more frequent around this time. Tens of millions of years later, eclipses became less numerous as the lunar orbit slowly moved away from the Earth. The view of the sun, even its chromosphere, was blocked by the Earth. Around some hundreds of millions of years ago, the Earth blocked all of the Sun's chromosphere; totality was slightly longer than the partial portion. At the same time, there were more partial eclipses on the Moon. As the Moon recedes about 3.8 centimeters (1.5 in) each year, [5] the eclipse totality length slowly shrinks, and the partial portion slowly lengthens.
The Solar Saros series of the Moon is the equivalent to the Lunar Saros series of the Earth.
In a package of Wills's Cigarettes, one of the tobacco cards first issued in 1928 for a few years displays a solar eclipse on the Moon showing the atmospheric ring. [6]
A lunar eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six months, during the full moon phase, when the Moon's orbital plane is closest to the plane of the Earth's orbit.
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Wednesday, December 4, 2002, with a magnitude of 1.0244. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. It was visible from a narrow corridor in southern Africa, the Indian Ocean and southern Australia. A partial eclipse was seen from the much broader path of the Moon's penumbra, including most of Africa and Australia. During the sunset after the eclipse many observers in Australia saw numerous and unusual forms of a green flash.
A total lunar eclipse took place on 3 March 2007, the first of two eclipses in 2007. The Moon entered the penumbral shadow at 20:18 UTC, and the umbral shadow at 21:30 UTC. The total phase lasted between 22:44 UTC and 23:58 UTC with a distinctive brick-red shade. The Moon left the umbra shadow at 01:11 UTC and left the penumbra shadow at 02:24 UTC 2007-03-04. The second lunar eclipse of 2007 occurred on 28 August.
A total lunar eclipse occurred on February 20 and February 21, 2008. It was visible in the eastern evening sky on February 20 for all of North and South America, and on February 21 in the predawn western sky from most of Africa and Europe. Greatest Eclipse occurring on Thursday, February 21, 2008, at 03:26:03 UTC, totality lasting 49 minutes and 45.6 seconds.
A total lunar eclipse occurred on 21 January 2019 UTC. For observers in the Americas, the eclipse took place between the evening of Sunday, 20 January and the early morning hours of Monday, 21 January. For observers in Europe and Africa, the eclipse occurred during the morning of 21 January. The Moon was near its perigee on 21 January and as such can be described as a "supermoon".
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit between Tuesday, March 8 and Wednesday, March 9, 2016, with a magnitude of 1.045. If viewed from east of the International Date Line, the eclipse took place on March 8 (Tuesday) and elsewhere on March 9 (Wednesday). A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's and the apparent path of the Sun and Moon intersect, blocking all direct sunlight and turning daylight into darkness; the Sun appears to be black with a halo around it. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. The eclipse of March 8–9, 2016 was visible across an area of Pacific Ocean, which started in the Indian Ocean, and ended in the northern Pacific Ocean.
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Thursday, February 26, 1998, with a magnitude of 1.0441. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Totality was visible in the Galápagos Islands, Panama, Colombia, the Paraguaná Peninsula in northwestern Venezuela, all of Aruba, most of Curaçao and the northwestern tip of Bonaire, all of Montserrat, Guadeloupe and Antigua and Barbuda.
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Monday, February 5, 1962, with a magnitude of 1.043. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Totality was visible from Indonesia, Netherlands New Guinea, the Territory of Papua New Guinea, British Solomon Islands, and Palmyra Atoll.
A total solar eclipse will occur at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Monday, August 2, 2027 with a magnitude of 1.079. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide.
A total solar eclipse will occur at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Saturday, August 12, 2045, with a magnitude of 1.0774. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide.
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Saturday, June 30, 1973, with a magnitude of 1.0792. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide.
A total solar eclipse will occur at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Wednesday, May 11, 2078, with a magnitude of 1.0701. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide.
A total solar eclipse will occur at the Moon's ascending node of orbit between Monday, May 21 and Tuesday, May 22, 2096, with a magnitude of 1.0737. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. This will be the first eclipse of saros series 139 to exceed series 136 in length of totality. The length of totality for saros 139 is increasing, while that of Saros 136 is decreasing.
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Monday, December 14, 2020, with a magnitude of 1.0254. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's and the apparent path of the Sun and Moon intersect, blocking all direct sunlight and turning daylight into darkness; the Sun appears to be black with a halo around it. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide, including parts of the Pacific Ocean, South America, southwestern Africa, and the Atlantic Ocean. The Moon's apparent diameter was larger than average because the eclipse occurred only 1.8 days after perigee.
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Thursday, November 22, 1984, with a magnitude of 1.0237. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Totality was visible in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and southern Pacific Ocean. West of the International Date Line the eclipse took place on November 23, including all land in the path of totality. Occurring only 2.1 days after perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter was fairly larger.
A total solar eclipse will occur at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Friday, November 14, 2031, with a magnitude of 1.0106. It is a hybrid event, with portions of its central path near sunrise and sunset as an annular eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide.
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's ascending node of orbit on Thursday, May 9, 1929, with a magnitude of 1.0562. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Totality was visible from Dutch East Indies, Federated Malay States, Siam, French Indochina, Spratly Islands, Philippines, and South Seas Mandate in Japan.
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Wednesday, December 23, 1908, with a magnitude of 1.0024. It was a hybrid event, with only a fraction of its path as total, and longer sections at the start and end as an annular eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Annularity was visible from Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil, while totality was visible only from southern Atlantic Ocean with no land.
A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Tuesday, January 25, 1944, with a magnitude of 1.0428. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Totality was visible from Peru, Brazil, British Sierra Leone, and French West Africa. At greatest eclipse, the Sun was 78 degrees above horizon.
An annular solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Tuesday, March 28, 1922, with a magnitude of 0.9381. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun's, blocking most of the Sun's light and causing the Sun to look like an annulus (ring). An annular eclipse appears as a partial eclipse over a region of the Earth thousands of kilometres wide. Annularity was visible from Peru, Brazil, French West Africa, British Gambia including capital Banjul, French Algeria, Italian Libya, Egypt, Kingdom of Hejaz and Sultanate of Nejd, and British Kuwait.