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March 1979 lunar eclipse

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March 1979 lunar eclipse
Partial eclipse
Date13 March 1979
Gamma0.52537
Magnitude0.85377
Saros cycle132 (28 of 71)
Partiality197 minutes, 40.7 seconds
Penumbral350 minutes, 42.8 seconds
Contacts (UTC)
P118:12:39.6
U119:29:13.7
Greatest21:08:02.3
U422:46:54.4
P400:03:22.4 (14 Mar)

A partial lunar eclipse took place on Tuesday, March 13, 1979, the first of two lunar eclipses in 1979. The Moon was strikingly shadowed in this deep partial eclipse which lasted 3 hours, 17 minutes and 40.6 seconds, with 85.377% of the Moon in darkness at maximum.

This event followed the total solar eclipse of February 26, 1979.

Visibility

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It was completely visible in east in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and west in Australia, seen rising over the Americas and setting over Asia and Australia.

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Eclipses in 1979

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Lunar year series

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Lunar eclipse series sets from 1977–1980
Ascending node   Descending node
Saros Date
viewing
Type
chart
Gamma Saros Date
viewing
Type
chart
Gamma
112 1977 Apr 04
Partial
−0.91483 117 1977 Sep 27
Penumbral
1.07682
122 1978 Mar 24
Total
−0.21402 127 1978 Sep 16
Total
0.29510
132 1979 Mar 13
Partial
0.52537 137 1979 Sep 06
Total
−0.43050
142 1980 Mar 01
Penumbral
1.22701 147 1980 Aug 26
Penumbral
−1.16082
Last set 1976 May 13 Last set 1976 Nov 06
Next set 1981 Jan 20 Next set 1980 Jul 27

Saros series

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Lunar saros series 132, repeating every 18 years and 11 days, has a total of 71 lunar eclipse events including 44 umbral lunar eclipses (32 partial lunar eclipses and 12 total lunar eclipses).

Greatest First

The greatest eclipse of the series will occur on 2123 Jun 9, lasting 106 minutes.[1]
Penumbral Partial Total Central
1492 May 12
1636 Aug 16
2015 Apr 4
2069 May 6
Last
Central Total Partial Penumbral
2177 Jul 11
2213 Aug 2
2429 Dec 11
2754 Jun 26

There are 11 series events between 1901 and 2100, grouped into threes (called an exeligmos), each column with approximately the same viewing longitude on earth.

1901–2100
1907 Jan 29 1925 Feb 8 1943 Feb 20
1961 Mar 2 1979 Mar 13 1997 Mar 24
2015 Apr 4 2033 Apr 14 2051 Apr 26
2069 May 6 2087 May 17

Half-Saros cycle

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A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).[2] This lunar eclipse is related to two total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 139.

March 7, 1970 March 18, 1988

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Listing of Eclipses of series 132
  2. ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
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