May 2040 lunar eclipse

Last updated
Total lunar eclipse
May 26, 2040
Ecliptic north up
Lunar eclipse chart close-2040May26.png
The Moon’s northern limb will pass through the center of the Earth's shadow.
Saros (and member) 131 (35 of 72)
Gamma -0.1872
Magnitude 1.5348
Duration (hr:mn:sc)
Totality1:32:12
Partial3:30:42
Penumbral5:21:26
Contacts (UTC)
P19:05:40
U110:01:01
U211:00:16
Greatest11:46:22
U312:32:28
U413:31:43
P414:27:04

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. This lunar event will occur near perigee, as a result, it will be referred to as a "super flower blood moon" or "super blood moon", though not quite as close to Earth as the eclipse of May 26, 2021.

Contents

This eclipse is a part of Saros cycle 131, and the second of the series that passes through the center of the Earth's shadow. The first central eclipse of this series took place on May 15-16, 2022.

Visibility

It will be completely visible over Australia and the Pacific, seen rising over Eastern Asia, and setting over North and South America.

Lunar eclipse from moon-2040May26.png

Lunar year series (354 days)

This eclipse is the third of four lunar year eclipses occurring at the Moon's ascending node.

The lunar year series repeats after 12 lunations or 354 days (Shifting back about 10 days in sequential years). Because of the date shift, the Earth's shadow will be about 11 degrees west in sequential events.

Lunar eclipse series sets from 2038-2042
Descending node Ascending node
Saros Date
Viewing
Type
Chart
SarosDate
Viewing
Type
Chart
111 2038 Jun 17
Lunar eclipse from moon-2038Jun17.png
Penumbral
Lunar eclipse chart close-2038Jun17.png
116 2038 Dec 11
Lunar eclipse from moon-2038Dec11.png
Penumbral
Lunar eclipse chart close-2038Dec11.png
121 2039 Jun 06
Lunar eclipse from moon-2039Jun06.png
Partial
Lunar eclipse chart close-2039Jun06.png
126 2039 Nov 30
Lunar eclipse from moon-2039Nov30.png
Partial
Lunar eclipse chart close-2039Nov30.png
131 2040 May 26
Lunar eclipse from moon-2040May26.png
Total
Lunar eclipse chart close-2040May26.png
136 2040 Nov 18
Lunar eclipse from moon-2040Nov18.png
Total
Lunar eclipse chart close-2040Nov18.png
141 2041 May 16
Lunar eclipse from moon-2041May16.png
Partial
Lunar eclipse chart close-2041May16.png
146 2041 Nov 08
Lunar eclipse from moon-2041Nov08.png
Partial
Lunar eclipse chart close-2041Nov08.png
156 2042 Oct 28
Lunar eclipse from moon-2042Oct28.png
Penumbral
Lunar eclipse chart close-2042Oct28.png
Last set 2038 Jul 16 Last set 2038 Jan 21
Next set 2042 Apr 05 Next set 2042 Sep 29

Metonic series

First eclipse: May 26, 2002. Second eclipse: May 26, 2021. Third eclipse: May 26, 2040. Fourth eclipse: May 27, 2059.

Half-Saros cycle

A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros). [1] This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 138.

May 21, 2031 May 31, 2049
SE2031May21A.png SE2049May31A.png

Saros series

Lunar Saros series 131, has 72 lunar eclipses. Solar Saros 138 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros series.

This eclipse series began in AD 1427 with a partial eclipse at the southern edge of the Earth's shadow when the Moon was close to its descending node. Each successive Saros cycle, the Moon's orbital path is shifted northward with respect to the Earth's shadow, with the first total eclipse occurring in 1950. For the following 252 years, total eclipses occur, with the central eclipse being predicted to occur in 2078. The first partial eclipse after this is predicted to occur in the year 2220, and the final partial eclipse of the series will occur in 2707. The total lifetime of the lunar Saros series 131 is 1280 years. Solar Saros 138 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros series.

Because of the ⅓ fraction of days in a Saros cycle, the visibility of each eclipse will differ for an observer at a given fixed locale. For the lunar Saros series 131, the first total eclipse of 1950 had its best visibility for viewers in Eastern Europe and the Middle East because mid-eclipse was at 20:44 UT. The following eclipse in the series occurred approximately 8 hours later in the day with mid-eclipse at 4:47 UT, and was best seen from North America and South America. The third total eclipse occurred approximately 8 hours later in the day than the second eclipse with mid-eclipse at 12:43 UT, and had its best visibility for viewers in the Western Pacific, East Asia, Australia and New Zealand. This cycle of visibility repeats from the initiation to termination of the series, with minor variations. Solar Saros 138 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros series.

Lunar Saros series 131, repeating every 18 years and 11 days, has a total of 72 lunar eclipse events including 57 umbral lunar eclipses (42 partial lunar eclipses and 15 total lunar eclipses). Solar Saros 138 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros series.

GreatestFirst
Lunar eclipse chart close-2094Jun28.png
The greatest eclipse of the series will occur on 2094 Jun 28, lasting 102 minutes. [2]
PenumbralPartialTotalCentral
1427 May 101553 July 25 1950 Apr 2 2022 May 16
Last
CentralTotalPartialPenumbral
2148 Jul 312202 Sep 32563 Apr 92707 Jul 7
1901–2100
1914 Mar 12 1932 Mar 22 1950 Apr 2
Lunar eclipse chart close-1914Mar12.png Lunar eclipse from moon-1914Mar12.png Lunar eclipse chart close-1932Mar22.png Lunar eclipse from moon-1932Mar22.png Lunar eclipse chart close-1950Apr02.png Lunar eclipse from moon-1950Apr02.png
1968 Apr 13 1986 Apr 24 2004 May 4
Lunar eclipse chart close-1968Apr13.png Lunar eclipse from moon-1968Apr13.png Lunar eclipse chart close-1986Apr24.png Lunar eclipse from moon-1986Apr24.png Lunar eclipse chart close-04may04.png Lunar eclipse from moon-2004May04.png
2022 May 16 2040 May 26 2058 Jun 6
Lunar eclipse chart close-2022may16.png Lunar eclipse from moon-2022May16.png Lunar eclipse chart close-2040May26.png Lunar eclipse from moon-2040May26.png Lunar eclipse chart close-2058Jun06.png Lunar eclipse from moon-2058Jun06.png
2076 Jun 17 2094 Jun 28
Lunar eclipse chart close-2076Jun17.png Lunar eclipse from moon-2076Jun17.png Lunar eclipse chart close-2094Jun28.png Lunar eclipse from moon-2094Jun28.png

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 39.

All events in this series listed below and more are total lunar eclipses.

Inex series from 1000 to 2500 AD
Ascending nodeDescending nodeAscending nodeDescending node
Saros DateSarosDateSarosDateSarosDate
961027 Apr 23971056 Apr 2981085 Mar 14991114 Feb 21
1001143 Feb 11011172 Jan 131021200 Dec 221031229 Dec 2
1041258 Nov 121051287 Oct 221061316 Oct 21071345 Sep 12
1081374 Aug 221091403 Aug 21101432 Jul 131111461 Jun 22
1121490 Jun 21131519 May 141141548 Apr 221151577 Apr 2
1161606 Mar 241171635 Mar 31181664 Feb 111191693 Jan 22
1201722 Jan 21211750 Dec 131221779 Nov 231231808 Nov 3
1241837 Oct 131251866 Sep 241261895 Sep 4127 1924 Aug 14
128 1953 Jul 26
Lunar eclipse chart close-1953Jul26.png
129 1982 Jul 6
Lunar eclipse chart close-1982Jul06.png
130 2011 Jun 15
Lunar eclipse chart close-2011jun15.png
131 2040 May 26
Lunar eclipse chart close-2040May26.png
132 2069 May 6
Lunar eclipse chart close-2069May06.png
133 2098 Apr 15
Lunar eclipse chart close-2098Apr15.png
1342127 Mar 281352156 Mar 7
1362185 Feb 141372214 Jan 271382243 Jan 71392271 Dec 17
1402300 Nov 271412329 Nov 71422358 Oct 181432387 Sep 28
1442416 Sep 71452445 Aug 171462474 Jul 29

See also

Notes

  1. Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
  2. Listing of Eclipses of cycle 131

Related Research Articles

The saros is a period of exactly 223 synodic months, approximately 6585.321 days, or 18 years, 10, 11, or 12 days, and 8 hours, that can be used to predict eclipses of the Sun and Moon. One saros period after an eclipse, the Sun, Earth, and Moon return to approximately the same relative geometry, a near straight line, and a nearly identical eclipse will occur, in what is referred to as an eclipse cycle. A sar is one half of a saros.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May 2004 lunar eclipse</span> Total lunar eclipse 4 May 2004

A total lunar eclipse took place on Tuesday 4 May 2004, the first of two total lunar eclipses in 2004, the second being on 28 October 2004.

<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">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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May 2022 lunar eclipse</span> Total lunar eclipse of 15–16 May 2022

A total lunar eclipse occurred on 15–16 May 2022, the first of two total lunar eclipses in 2022. The event occurred near lunar perigee; as a result, this event was referred to some in media coverage as a "super flower blood moon" and elsewhere as a "super blood moon", a supermoon that coincides with a total lunar eclipse. This was the longest total lunar eclipse visible from nearly all of North America since August 17, 1989 until the next eclipse on November 8.

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 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, the Moon's apparent diameter was 3.6% larger than average and the moon passed through the center of the Earth's shadow.

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">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">April 1950 lunar eclipse</span> Total lunar eclipse April 2, 1950

A total lunar eclipse took place on Sunday, April 2, 1950. This was the first total lunar eclipse of Saros cycle 131.

<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">June 2076 lunar eclipse</span> Central lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse will take place on June 17, 2076. The moon will pass through the center of the Earth's 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. With a gamma value of only −0.0452 and an umbral eclipse magnitude of 1.7943, this is the second greatest eclipse in Saros series 131 as well as the largest and darkest lunar eclipse between June 26, 2029 and June 28, 2094. Overall, it will be the third largest and darkest lunar eclipse of the 21st century. While it will have similar values to the lunar eclipse of July 16, 2000, totality will not last over 106 minutes due to the moon's relatively large apparent size as seen from Earth and greater speed in its elliptical orbit. Totality's expected to last 100 minutes 34 seconds from 9:11:39 to 10:52:15 with the greatest point at 10:01:57 UTC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June 2094 lunar eclipse</span> Central lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse will take place on June 28, 2094. The Moon will pass through the center of the Earth's 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. With a gamma value of only 0.0288 and an umbral eclipse magnitude of 1.8234, this is the greatest eclipse in Saros series 131 as well as the second largest and darkest lunar eclipse of the 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March 1932 lunar eclipse</span> Partial lunar eclipse of March 1932

A partial lunar eclipse took place on Tuesday, March 22, 1932. It was the first of 2 nearly total eclipses. The second lunar eclipse of such happened on September 14. This lunar eclipse of Saros cycle 131 preceded the first total eclipse on April 2, 1950.

A partial lunar eclipse took place on Thursday, March 12, 1914.

<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 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">November 2060 lunar eclipse</span> Penumbral

A penumbral lunar eclipse will occur on November 8, 2060. It will be too small to be visually perceptible.

References