November 1956 lunar eclipse
| Total eclipse | |||||||||||||||||
 The Moon's hourly motion shown right to left | |||||||||||||||||
| Date | November 18, 1956 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamma | 0.2917 | ||||||||||||||||
| Magnitude | 1.3172 | ||||||||||||||||
| Saros cycle | 125 (45 of 72) | ||||||||||||||||
| Totality | 78 minutes, 22 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Partiality | 209 minutes, 27 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Penumbral | 332 minutes, 13 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Sunday, November 18, 1956,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.3172. 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 3.4 days before perigee (on November 21, 1956, at 16:45 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[2]
This lunar eclipse was the second of an almost tetrad, with the others being on May 24, 1956 (partial); May 13, 1957 (total); and November 7, 1957 (total).
Visibility
[edit]The eclipse was completely visible over North America and western South America, seen rising over northeast Asia and eastern Australia and setting over eastern South America, west and central Africa, and Europe.[3]
|
Eclipse details
[edit]Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[4]
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Penumbral Magnitude | 2.32849 |
| Umbral Magnitude | 1.31720 |
| Gamma | 0.29167 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 15h34m22.3s |
| Sun Declination | -19°14'20.7" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 16'11.0" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.9" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 03h34m12.2s |
| Moon Declination | +19°31'18.5" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 16'00.2" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 0°58'44.0" |
| ΔT | 31.8 s |
Eclipse season
[edit]This eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two (or occasionally three) eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months (173 days) 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.
| November 18 Descending node (full moon) |
December 2 Ascending node (new moon) |
|---|---|
|
|
| Total lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 125 |
Partial solar eclipse Solar Saros 151 |
Related eclipses
[edit]Eclipses in 1956
[edit]- A partial lunar eclipse on May 24.
- A total solar eclipse on June 8.
- A total lunar eclipse on November 18.
- A partial solar eclipse on December 2.
Metonic
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 29, 1953
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 5, 1960
Tzolkinex
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 7, 1949
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 30, 1963
Half-Saros
[edit]- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 12, 1947
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 23, 1965
Tritos
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 19, 1945
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 18, 1967
Lunar Saros 125
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 7, 1938
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 29, 1974
Inex
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 8, 1927
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 28, 1985
Triad
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 17, 1870
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 19, 2043
Lunar eclipses of 1955–1958
[edit]| Ascending node | Descending node | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saros | Date viewing |
Type chart |
Saros | Date viewing |
Type chart | |
| 110 | 1955 Jun 5
|
Penumbral
|
115 | 1955 Nov 29
|
Partial
| |
| 120 | 1956 May 24
|
Partial
|
125 | 1956 Nov 18
|
Total
| |
| 130 | 1957 May 13
|
Total
|
135 | 1957 Nov 7
|
Total
| |
| 140 | 1958 May 3
|
Partial
|
145 | 1958 Oct 27
|
Penumbral
| |
| Last set | 1954 Jul 16 | Last set | 1955 Jan 8 | |||
| Next set | 1958 Apr 4 | Next set | 1959 Sep 17 | |||
Tritos series
[edit]The tritos series repeats 31 days short of 11 years at alternating nodes. Sequential events have incremental Saros cycle indices.
This series produces 23 total eclipses between June 22, 1880 and August 9, 2120.
| Ascending node | Descending node | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saros | Date Viewing |
Type chart |
Saros | Date Viewing |
Type chart | |
| 120 | 1902 Apr 22
|
Total
|
121 | 1913 Mar 22
|
Total
| |
| 122 | 1924 Feb 20
|
Total
|
123 | 1935 Jan 19
|
Total
| |
| 124 | 1945 Dec 19
|
Total
|
125 | 1956 Nov 18
|
Total
| |
| 126 | 1967 Oct 18
|
Total
|
127 | 1978 Sep 16
|
Total
| |
| 128 | 1989 Aug 17
|
Total
|
129 | 2000 Jul 16
|
Total
| |
| 130 | 2011 Jun 15
|
Total
|
131 | 2022 May 16
|
Total
| |
| 132 | 2033 Apr 14
|
Total
|
133 | 2044 Mar 13
|
Total
| |
| 134 | 2055 Feb 11
|
Total
|
135 | 2066 Jan 11
|
Total
| |
| 136 | 2076 Dec 10
|
Total
|
137 | 2087 Nov 10
|
Total
| |
| 138 | 2098 Oct 10
|
Total
| ||||
Half-Saros cycle
[edit]A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).[5] This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 132.
| November 12, 1947 | November 23, 1965 |
|---|---|
|
|
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ "November 17–18, 1956 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)". timeanddate. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 1956 Nov 18" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 1956 Nov 18". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
External links
[edit]- 1956 Nov 18 chart Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA/GSFC
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