December 2028 lunar eclipse


A total lunar eclipse will occur at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Sunday, December 31, 2028, with an umbral magnitude of 1.2479. 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 about 4.3 days before perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter will be larger.
This eclipse will occur during a blue moon and is the first such eclipse to happen on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day since December 2009, and the first total lunar eclipse on New Year's Day in history. The next such eclipse will be in December 2047.

Visibility

The eclipse will be completely visible over eastern Europe, Asia, and Australia, seen rising over Africa and Europe and setting over the eastern Pacific Ocean and western North America.

Eclipse details

Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
ParameterValue
Penumbral Magnitude2.27579
Umbral Magnitude1.24785
Gamma0.32583
Sun Right Ascension18h45m53.7s
Sun Declination-23°01'00.5"
Sun Semi-Diameter16'15.9"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.9"
Moon Right Ascension06h46m08.4s
Moon Declination+23°19'37.5"
Moon Semi-Diameter15'49.4"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax0°58'04.3"
ΔT73.4 s

Eclipse season

This eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months 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.
December 31
Descending node
January 14
Ascending node
Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 125
Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 151

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 2028

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Lunar Saros 125

Inex

Triad

Half-Saros cycle

A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days. This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 132.
December 26, 2019January 5, 2038