September 1931 lunar eclipse


A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Saturday, September 26, 1931, with an umbral magnitude of 1.3208. It was a central lunar eclipses|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 only about 8 hours before apogee, the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
This was the last central lunar eclipse of Lunar Saros 126.

Visibility

The eclipse was completely visible over east Africa, eastern Europe, and west, central, south, and southeast Asia, seen rising over west Africa, western Europe, South America, and northeastern North America and setting over east and northeast Asia and Australia.

Eclipse details

Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
ParameterValue
Penumbral Magnitude2.40586
Umbral Magnitude1.32082
Gamma−0.26978
Sun Right Ascension12h10m06.0s
Sun Declination-01°05'41.6"
Sun Semi-Diameter15'57.4"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.8"
Moon Right Ascension00h10m34.4s
Moon Declination+00°52'59.0"
Moon Semi-Diameter14'42.4"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax0°53'58.3"
ΔT24.0 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. The first and last eclipse in this sequence is separated by one synodic month.
September 12
Descending node
September 26
Ascending node
October 11
Descending node
Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 114
Total lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 126
Partial solar eclipse
Solar Saros 152

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 1931

Metonic

Tzolkinex

Half-Saros

Tritos

Lunar Saros 126

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 133.
September 21, 1922October 1, 1940