Moon

Eclipses of the Moon

__Shishir Deshmukh
Eclipse is a celestial shadow play. The Sun, the Moon and the Earth
are three active participants in this shadow play.
On New Moon, the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun. So
the Moon’s shadow falls on the surface of the Earth, hence a solar
eclipse is seen
A Solar Eclipse occurs
on New Moon

Sunlight

A Lunar
Eclipse occurs
on Full Moon
Lunar Eclipses and the Full moon…

If Lunar eclipses occur on Full moon, then isn’t it logical that there
should be twelve eclipses every year since there are about twelve Full
moons each year? The orbit of the Moon
But this doesn’t really occur….Why? makes little more
than five degree
Orbit of
the
angle to the Earth’s
Moon orbit around the Sun.

Plane of the Earth’s orbit

5°
The Moon does not move
around the Earth in the same
plane in which the Earth
revolves around the Sun.
Lunar Eclipses and the Full moon…
Therefore, at each Full moon, the Sun, the Moon and the Earth are
not in the same plane. Full moon

Shadow of the Earth

E
Plane of the Earth’s orbit
5°

So at most Full moons, the Moon is either at south or at north (as

shown in the figure) of the Earth’s orbital plane. Hence at such
instants, the Moon is not ‘caught’ in the shadow of the Earth, hence
no eclipse occurs.
Shadows of the Earth…

Umbra
Sun Earth

Penumbra

There are two kinds of shadows of the Earth, dark shadow at the
center is called Umbra, surrounded by thin (faint) extended shadow
called Penumbra. Since the moon passed through these shadows,
both of these shadows play an important role in eclipses.
Nature of the Earth’s shadows…

Sunlight Umbra
Umbra

Penumbra

The Sun, being a spherical source of light (and not a point

source) form two types of shadows of the Earth, the dark
shadow (umbra) surrounded by a faint shadow (penumbra)
Vertical cross section of the Earth’s shadows

Umbra

Penumbra
The vertical cross section of these shadows are two concentric
circles with umbra (inner) and penumbra (outer). The apparent path
of the Moon through these shadows determines the type of eclipse
seen.
Shadow of the Earth, node and path of the Moon

Penumbra Umbra

Path of the Moon

Plane of Earth’s revolution

Center of Earth’s shadow

Node

The apparent path of the Moon with respect to the center of the
Earth’s shadow depends on the position of the node at the time of
full moon. The path of the Moon across the Earth’s shadow is
different in different full moons.
Shadow of the Earth, node and path of the Moon

1 At the time of Full moon, the distance

between the center of the Earth’s shadow
and node is more, then the Moon passed
through penumbra ¼Fig.1 & 2½

2
At the time of Full moon, the Moon may
pass from the north of the center of the
Earth’s shadow ¼Fig.1½ or south of the
center of the Earth’s shadow ¼Fig.2½

On some Full moon, the Moon crosses

penumbra as well as umbra ¼Fig.3½ The
possibility of ‘Total’ lunar eclipse is more
when the distance between the center of the
3 Earth’s shadow and the node is minimum
Types of Lunar Eclipses

Types of Lunar Eclipses

Types of Lunar Eclipses : Penumbral Eclipses
Since the orbit of the Moon
makes an angle of 5⅟4
degrees to the Earth’s orbital
plane, the Moon does not
cross the center of the
Earth’s shadow at every full
Umbra
moon.
Sometimes, the Moon
Penumbra passes only through
penumbra, without touching
Penumbral eclipse is difficult to umbra such eclipses are
discern by unaided eyes. Even during called Penumbral Eclipse.
its deepest phase, the Moon just
appears little pale.
 Penumbral Eclipse : How it appears ?

For example, have a look at the

th
The
Penumbral eclipse of 20 photograph of
November 2002, the path of the the Moon
Moon through the Earth’s shadows before
was as shown in this figure: eclipses
started
Penumbra
Umbra

The
photograph of
the Moon
during middle
of the eclipse

Photo Courtesy : Fred Espenak, 2002

Types of Lunar Eclipses : Partial Eclipses

Sometimes, the Moon not

Penumbra only enters in the
Umbra
penumbra but also passes
partially through umbra,
such eclipse is called Partial
Eclipse.

A partial eclipse of the Moon can be easily discerned to unaided eyes.

The part of the moon’s disc covered by umbra appears reddish or
deep grey.
 Partial Eclipse : How it appears ?

For example, have a look at the

partial eclipse of 4th June 2012, the
path of the Moon through the
Earth’s shadows was as shown in
this figure:
Umbra
Now, have a look at the
photographs of the eclipsed moon
taken with ten minutes intervals: Penumbra

Photo Courtesy : Fred Espenak, 2012

Types of Lunar Eclipses : Total Eclipses

On some occasions, the

Penumbra Moon not only enters in the
penumbra but also passes
Umbra
totally through umbra, such
eclipse is called Total
Eclipse.

Total eclipse of the Moon can be seen without unaided eyes. The
eclipsed moon appears, reddish-black or deep grey . Sometimes,
totally eclipsed moon appears so black that it completely vanishes
from the sky.
 Total Eclipse of the Moon : How it appears ?

For example, have a look at

the partial eclipse of 29th Penumbra
November 1993, the path of Umbra
the Moon through the Earth’s
shadows was as shown in this
figure:
Now, have a look at a composite
photograph made with nine different
photographs of the eclipse

Photo : Fred Espenak 1993

Total Eclipse of the Moon : How it appears ?

Thus, mainly there are three types of Lunar eclipses:

Penumbral Partial Total

It is because of the shadows of the Earth, three different types of

lunar eclipses occur. Generally, two-three lunar eclipses occur every
year, however, there can a year without any lunar eclipse.
Types of Lunar eclipses: Total Penumbral eclipse
During most of the penumbral eclipses, the Moon passes partially
within the Earth’s penumbra, however, on some rare occasions, the
Moon passes ‘totally’ within the Earth’s penumbra without touching
umbra.
Such lunar eclipses are called
Total Penumbral Eclipses.

Umbra For a total penumbral

eclipse, some special
circumstances required, let’s
Penumbra see what are these
circumstances:
How a Total Penumbral eclipse occurs?
For a Total Penumbral Eclipse, the moon has to pass completely
through the penumbral corona without touching the umbra.
For this, the width of penumbral
Penumbral Corona
corona should be greater than the
diameter of the moon, so that it will
be completely immersed in it.
Since the distance of the moon from the Earth is not same all the
times, the apparent diameter of the moon too is not same all the
time, in fact, it varies from 0.49 to 0.56 degrees.
Therefore, it is when the moon is away from the earth, the possibility
of penumbral eclipse is greater.
Last Total Penumbral Eclipse was occurred on 14th March 2006 and
the forthcoming such eclipse will occur on 29th August 2053.
Annular Lunar Eclipse?
During Annular Solar Eclipse, lunar disc is smaller than the solar disc,
and hence cannot fully obscure it and the peripheral region of the
solar disc remain visible even at the instant of greatest eclipse.
Then, in the same way, is it possible to see an annular lunar eclipse
with the Earth’s umbra getting smaller than the lunar disc?

Is it really possible?

Earth’s umbra
Lunar disc

Lunar disc
Solar disc
Annular Lunar Eclipse?
At the time of a total solar eclipse, the moon’s shadow falls on the
Earth and the people covered under the shadow experience the
totality, however, the moon’s shadow covers less than 1% of the
Earth’s total area.
On the other hand, during a total lunar eclipse, the earth’s umbra is so
huge that moon is completely engulfed in it.
The maximum distance between
E the Moon and the Earth is 4 Lakh
7 thousand kilometer. At this
Max. Earth- distance, the diameter of the
Moon Distance umbra is about nine thousand
(407,000 km) kilometer, hence moon with a
Hence, Annular Lunar Eclipse diameter of about 3,476 km
never occurs… completely immersed in it.
Lunar eclipses : Contacts and greatest eclipse…

P1 = Beginning of penumbral phase

Penumbra
U1 = Moon’s leading edge touches umbra
externally (beginning of umbral
eclipse)

P4 U2 = Moon’s trailing edger touches

U4 U3 M U2 umbra internally (beginning
U1 P1 of totality)
East
West
M = Middle of the eclipse
Center of the
Earth’s shadow
Umbra U3 = Moon’s leading edge touches
umbra internally (end of totality)

U4 = Moon’s trailing edge touches umbra

externally (end of partial phase)

P4 = End of penumbral phase

 Middle of the eclipse and Gamma

Penumbra
During any lunar eclipse,
there is an instant when
the moon is closest to the
center of the Earth’s
P4 U4 U3
East M U2 U1 P1
Gamma west

shadows, this instant is

Center of
Umbra called Greatest Eclipse.
Earth shadows

At the time of Greatest eclipse, the distance between the center of the
Earth’s shadows and the moon is minimum. It is called ‘Gamma’. It is
measured in Earth’s equatorial radii with +ve at north and –ve at south.
Magnitude of the eclipse
The fraction of the moon’s diameter covered by the earth’s shadow at
the instant of greatest eclipse is called Magnitude of Eclipse-
However there are two types of
Ratio of Moon’s shadows, umbra and penumbra.
diameter to Hence, two different
penumbra magnitudes are mentioned, viz.
Umbral Magnitude and
Penumbral Magnitude-
If the eclipse is only penumbral,
then umbral magnitude is
negative. In case of partial
eclipse however, umbral
Ratio of Moon’s
diameter to
magnitude is positive but less
umbra than 1.
Are Lunar eclipses far more frequent ?
An average observer generally witnesses far more lunar eclipses than
solar eclipses. So does that mean Lunar eclipses are far more
frequent than solar eclipses ? Let’s see the circumstances on a
lunar and a solar eclipse.
A solar eclipse will occur if the
A moon comes between ‘A’ and
C ‘B’ whereas, a lunar eclipse will
occur when the moon comes
Earth
between ‘C’ and ‘D’
D So if the arc AB is greater than
B arc CD, then isn’t that the
possibilities of solar eclipses are
greater than lunar eclipses ?
Are Lunar eclipses far more frequent ?
During a solar eclipse the moon’s shadow falls on the earth and the
people living inside the shadow witness a solar eclipse. However, the
moon being much smaller than the Earth, the solar eclipse is
witnessed by only a fraction of people living on the earth.

Moon

Earth
Sun
Are Lunar eclipses far more frequent ?

During a lunar eclipse however, the moon enters in the shadow of the
earth, so entire half of the Earth witnesses the eclipse as shown in the
figure below.
Hence from a specific point on the earth, the lunar eclipses are far
more frequent than the sun.

Sunlight Umbra

Eclipsed moon
Are Lunar eclipses far more frequent ?
It should be noted however that if the penumbral eclipses of the
moon are taken into account, then the number of lunar eclipses are
almost as equal to number of solar eclipses as shown in the following
figure because now, arc AB and arc CD are almost equal.

A C

Penumbra
Earth Umbra

B D
 Appearance of the moon during totality….
During totality, the moon is completely immersed in umbra, hence the
sunlight is blocked. So the moon is expected to be vanished or darken to a
great extend. In reality however, this does not occur always.
Due to the thick atmosphere around the earth, the sunlight is refracted
and manage to reach the disc of the moon. hence the moon remains
visible even during mid totality.
Atmosphere of the Earth

Sunlight Earth

The sunlight getting refracted through the

atmosphere and reach the disc of the moon
The transparency of the earth’s atmosphere is NOT always the same so, the
appearance of the moon during totality differs from one eclipse to the other.
Danjon’s scale
French astronomer Andre Louis Danjon introduced five point scale
to evaluate the Very dark
visual eclipse. Moon
appearance andalmost invisible,ofespecially
brightness the at mid-
eclipsed
L=0
totality
moon
Dark Eclipse, gray or brownish in coloration. Details
L=1
distinguishable only with difficulty

Deep red or rust-colored eclipse. Very dark central shadow,

L=2
while outer edge of umbra is relatively bright.

L=3 Brick-red eclipse. Umbral shadow usually has a bright or

yellow rim.

Very bright copper-red or orange eclipse. Umbral shadow

L=4
has a bluish, very bright rim.
 Comparison of Solar and Lunar eclipses
1. Annular Solar eclipse can happen but Annular Lunar eclipse is not possible
2. Lunar eclipse can be penumbral, partial or total, whereas, solar eclipse can
be partial, annular, total or annular-total (hybrid).
3. The duration of the solar eclipse varies from place to place but the
duration of a lunar eclipse is the same at all the places where it is visible.
4. The maximum width of the umbra of the moon on the surface of the Earth
is about 270 km, hence totality can be observed by a very small fraction of
people on the Earth compared to the total surface of the Earth, whereas, a
total lunar eclipse is witness by little more than half of the Earth.
5. The obscuration of the solar disc always starts from the western edge of
the sun, in case of lunar eclipse, obscuration starts from the east.
6. From all the locations where the moon is above the horizon, the type of
lunar eclipse visible (total or partial) is same, however, the type of solar
eclipse visible (total, annular, hybrid or partial) from the place where the sun
is above the horizon during a solar eclipse varies.
 Saros : A long chain of eclipses

The magic of various lunar months:

223 Synodic months = 6585.3211 days

242 Nodical months = 6585.3572 days
239 Anomalistic months = 6585.5375 days
19 Eclipse years = 6585.7805 days

6585 days = 18 years and 10 or 11 days

In short, after every 18 years and 10 or 11 days, the Sun, Moon and
the Earth come in the same position with respect to each other,
and hence eclipses are repeated
Family of Lunar Eclipses

4th April 1996 (Total Lunar Eclipse) Yes, there are eclipses in
the interim period, but
27th Sept.1996 (Total Lunar Eclipse)
those eclipses belong to
24th Mar.1997 (Partial Lunar Eclipse) a different family !
15th April 2014 (Total Lunar Eclipse)
8th Oct.2014 (Total Lunar Eclipse)
4th April 2015 (Total Lunar Eclipse)
25th April 2032 (Total Lunar Eclipse)
18th Oct.2032 (Total Lunar Eclipse)
14th April 2033 (Total Lunar Eclipse)
Does this mean there 6th May 2050 (Total Lunar Eclipse)
are no eclipses in the
30th Oct.2050 (Total Lunar Eclipse)
interim period ?
26th April 2051 (Total Lunar Eclipse)
 Saros : A long chain of eclipses
1275 1293 1311 1329 1347 1365 1383 1401 1419
Jul.9 Jul.19 Jul.31 Aug.10 Aug.21 Aug.31 Sep.12 Sep.22 Oct.3

1582 1563 1545 1527 1509 1491 1473 1455 1437

Jan.8 Dec.29 Dec.18 Dec.7 Nov.16 Nov.16 Nov.4 Oct.25 Oct.14

1600 1618 1636 1654 1672 1690 1708 1726 1744

Jan.30 Feb.9 Feb.20 Mar.3 Mar.13 Mar.24 Apr.5 Apr.16 Apr.26

1906 1888 1870 1852 1834 1816 1798 1780 1762

Aug.4 Jul.23 Jul.12 Jul.1 Jun.21 Jun.10 May 29 May 18 May 8

1924 1942 1960 1978 1996 2014 2032 2050 2068

Aug.14 Aug.26 Sep.5 Sep.16 Sep.27 Oct.8 Oct.18 Oct.30 Nov.9

2231 2213 2195 2177 2159 2140 2122 2104 2086

Feb.17 Feb.6 Jan.26 Jan.14 Jan.4 Dec.23 Dec.13 Dec.2 Nov.20

2249 2267 2285 2303 2321 2339 2357 2375 2393

Feb.28 Mar.11 Mar.21 Apr.3 Apr.13 Apr.24 May 5 May 16 May 26

255 2537 2519 2501 2483 2465 2447 2429 2411

Sep.2 Aug.22 Aug.12 Jul.31 Jul.20 Jul.9 Jun.28 Jun.17 Jun.7
 Saros : A long chain of eclipses
1275 1293 1311 1329 1347 1365 1383 1401 1419
Jul.9 Jul.19 Jul.31 Aug.10 Aug.21Saros family
Aug.31 Number
Sep.12 : 127
Sep.22 Oct.3
Number of eclipses : 72
1582 1563 1545 1527 1509 Life span
1491 : 1280.14
1473 years1455 1437
Jan.8 Dec.29 Dec.18 Dec.7 Nov.16 Nov.16 Nov.4 Oct.25 Oct.14
First eclipse : 9th July 1275
1600 1618 1636 1654 1672 1690 rd 1708 1726 1744
Jan.30 Feb.9 Feb.20
Middle
Mar.3
eclipse
Mar.13
: 23 July
Mar.24
1888
Apr.5 Apr.16 Apr.26
Last eclipse : 2nd Sept.2555
1906 1888 1870 1852 1834 1816 1798 1780 1762
Aug.4 Jul.23 Jul.12 Jul.1Composition
Jun.21 : 18 Penumbral
Jun.10 May 29 May 18 May 8
38 Partial
1924 1942 1960 1978 1996 2014 2032 2050 2068
16 Total
Aug.14 Aug.26 Sep.5 Sep.16 Sep.27 Oct.8 Oct.18 Oct.30 Nov.9

2231 2213 2195 2177Sequence

2159 : 11 Penumbral,
2140 2122 18 Partial, 2086
2104
Feb.17 Feb.6 Jan.26 Jan.14 Jan.4 Dec.2316 Total, 20 Partial,
Dec.13 Dec.2 Nov.20
7 Penumbral
2249 2267 2285 2303 2321 2339 2357 2375 2393
Feb.28 Mar.11 Mar.21 Apr.3 Apr.13 Apr.24 May 5 May 16 May 26
Node : Descending node
2555 2537 2519 2501 2483 2465 2447 2429 2411
Sep.2 Aug.22 Aug.12 Jul.31 Jul.20 Jul.9 Jun.28 Jun.17 Jun.7
 Saros : A long chain of eclipses
9th July 1275 4th Nov.1473 24th Mar.1690
Penumbral Partial Partial

4th Aug.1906 13th Dec.2122 24th Apr.2339

Total Partial Partial
 Gamma during each eclipse
Gamma at each eclipse in Saros 127
2

1.5

0.5
Gamma

0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71

-0.5

-1

-1.5

-2

During each eclipse in a saros series, the value of gamma changes

 Gamma during various Saros series
Gamma at each eclipse in Saros 127 Gamma of eclipse in a saros
2

1.5
series changes as the position
1 of the eclipsed moon changes
0.5
with respect to the center of
Gamma

-0.5
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52 55 58 61 64 67 70
the shadow of the earth.
-1

-1.5
Since the value of gamma is
-2 denoted as –ve at south and
Gamma at each eclipse in Saros 128
+ve at north of the center of
2 the shadow, it changes in
1.5
reverse order in saros series
1

0.5
for ascending node series and
Gamma

0
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52 55 58 61 64 67 70
for descending node series.
-0.5

-1

-1.5

-2
Sources of information of eclipses
NASA Eclipse page:
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/lunar.html

Time and Date website:

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/unar.html

Five millennium Canon of Lunar Eclipses

https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEpubs/5MCLE.html

Lunar Eclipses for Beginners:

https://www.mreclipse.com/Special/LEprimer.html

LUNECJM - lunar eclipse program

https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/JLEX/LUNECJM.zip

Solar Eclipses interactive Google maps

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/SolarEclipsesGo
ogleMaps.html
…….so what we learnt today ?

What is a lunar eclipse? How it occurs? When it occurs?

Why there is no lunar eclipse on every full moon?
What are the different types of lunar eclipses?
How a penumbral eclipse occurs?
How a partial eclipse occurs?
How a total eclipse occurs?
How a total penumbral eclipse occurs?
Why annular lunar eclipse never occurs?
What are different contact instants during a lunar eclipse? What is Gamma?
What is meant by magnitude of a lunar eclipse? Umbral & penumbral mag.
Varied appearance of the totally eclipsed moon and Danjon’s scale
Lunar Saros series
Can you miss this wonderful shadow play?
Thank you…
For your patience