July 1953 lunar eclipse


A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Sunday, July 26, 1953, with an umbral magnitude of 1.8629. It was a central lunar eclipse, in which part of the Moon passed through the center of the Earth's shadow. 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 2.1 days before perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
With an umbral lunar eclipse magnitude of 1.8629, this was the largest lunar eclipse of the 20th century, larger than any since 1765 and until 2264. Gamma had a value of only −0.0071. Due to the Moon's relatively large size, totality lasted 100 minutes and 42 seconds unlike July 16, 2000, which lasted 106 minutes and 25 seconds, the longest since August 13, 1859. This was the darkest total lunar eclipse in the 20th century.

Visibility

The eclipse was completely visible over Australia, Antarctica, and much of the Pacific Ocean, seen rising over much of Asia and setting over North and South America.

Eclipse details

Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
ParameterValue
Penumbral Magnitude2.82655
Umbral Magnitude1.86286
Gamma−0.00714
Sun Right Ascension08h22m00.3s
Sun Declination+19°26'49.2"
Sun Semi-Diameter15'45.0"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.7"
Moon Right Ascension20h22m00.9s
Moon Declination-19°27'13.5"
Moon Semi-Diameter16'20.6"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax0°59'58.7"
ΔT30.5 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.
July 11
Descending node
July 26
Ascending node 		August 9
Descending node
Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 116		Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 128		Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 154

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 1953

Saros 128

Tritos series

Inex series

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 135.
July 20, 1944July 31, 1962