December 2029 lunar eclipse


A total lunar eclipse will occur at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Thursday, December 20, 2029, with an umbral magnitude of 1.1190. 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 4.6 days before apogee, the Moon's apparent diameter will be smaller.
During the eclipse, NGC 2129 will be occulted by the Moon over the South America, the Atlantic Ocean and Africa. Deep-sky objects are rarely occulted during a total eclipse from any given spot on Earth.

Visibility

The eclipse will be completely visible over northern North America, Africa, Europe, and north, west, and central Asia, seen rising over North and South America and setting over east Asia and Australia.

Eclipse details

Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
ParameterValue
Penumbral Magnitude2.20231
Umbral Magnitude1.11895
Gamma−0.38110
Sun Right Ascension17h57m07.6s
Sun Declination-23°26'00.2"
Sun Semi-Diameter16'15.5"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.9"
Moon Right Ascension05h56m59.0s
Moon Declination+23°05'06.7"
Moon Semi-Diameter15'00.4"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax0°55'04.6"
ΔT73.9 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 5, 2029|December 5]
Ascending node
December 20
Descending node
Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 123
Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 135

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 2029

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Lunar Saros 135

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 total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 142.
December 14, 2020December 26, 2038