September 2016 lunar eclipse


A penumbral lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Friday, September 16, 2016, with an umbral magnitude of −0.0624. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when part or all of the Moon's near side passes into the Earth's penumbra. 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. Occurring about 1.8 days before perigee, the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.

Visibility

The eclipse was completely visible over east Africa, eastern Europe, Asia, and western Australia, seen rising over west Africa and western Europe and setting over eastern Australia and the western Pacific Ocean.

Eclipse details

Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular lunar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
ParameterValue
Penumbral Magnitude0.90912
Umbral Magnitude−0.06240
Gamma−1.05491
Sun Right Ascension11h39m09.7s
Sun Declination+02°15'14.2"
Sun Semi-Diameter15'54.8"
Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax08.7"
Moon Right Ascension23h40m27.3s
Moon Declination-03°15'36.5"
Moon Semi-Diameter16'22.8"
Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax1°00'06.8"
ΔT68.2 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.
August 18
Descending node
September 1
Ascending node
September 16
Descending node
Penumbral lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 109
Annular solar eclipse
Solar Saros 135
Penumbral lunar eclipse
Lunar Saros 147

Related eclipses

Eclipses in 2016

Saros 147

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 partial solar eclipses of Solar Saros 154.
September 11, 2007September 21, 2025