May 2050 lunar eclipse
| Total eclipse | |||||||||||||||||
 The Moon's hourly motion shown right to left | |||||||||||||||||
| Date | May 6, 2050 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamma | −0.4181 | ||||||||||||||||
| Magnitude | 1.0779 | ||||||||||||||||
| Saros cycle | 122 (58 of 75) | ||||||||||||||||
| Totality | 43 minutes, 11 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Partiality | 205 minutes, 59 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Penumbral | 340 minutes, 1 second | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
A total lunar eclipse will occur at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Friday, May 6, 2050,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.0779. 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 6.5 days after apogee (on April 30, 2050, at 11:10 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter will be smaller.[2]
This lunar eclipse is the first of a tetrad, with four total lunar eclipses in series, the others being on October 30, 2050; April 26, 2051; and October 19, 2051.
Visibility
[edit]The eclipse will be completely visible over Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Antarctica, seen rising over eastern North America and South America and setting over much of Asia and Australia.[3]
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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 | 2.10642 |
| Umbral Magnitude | 1.07790 |
| Gamma | −0.41809 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 02h56m30.8s |
| Sun Declination | +16°47'28.5" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 15'51.3" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.7" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 14h56m12.1s |
| Moon Declination | -17°10'41.9" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 15'24.9" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 0°56'34.4" |
| ΔT | 85.3 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.
| May 6 Ascending node (full moon) |
May 20 Descending node (new moon) |
|---|---|
|
|
| Total lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 122 |
Hybrid solar eclipse Solar Saros 148 |
Related eclipses
[edit]Eclipses in 2050
[edit]- A total lunar eclipse on May 6.
- A hybrid solar eclipse on May 20.
- A total lunar eclipse on October 30.
- A partial solar eclipse on November 14.
Metonic
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 18, 2046
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 22, 2054
Tzolkinex
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 25, 2043
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 17, 2057
Half-Saros
[edit]- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of April 30, 2041
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of May 11, 2059
Tritos
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 6, 2039
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 4, 2061
Lunar Saros 122
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 25, 2032
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 17, 2068
Inex
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 26, 2021
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 16, 2079
Triad
[edit]- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 6, 1963
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 7, 2137
Lunar eclipses of 2049–2052
[edit]| Ascending node | Descending node | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saros | Date Viewing |
Type Chart |
Saros | Date Viewing |
Type Chart | |
| 112 | 2049 May 17
|
Penumbral
|
117 | 2049 Nov 09
|
Penumbral
| |
| 122 | 2050 May 06
|
Total
|
127 | 2050 Oct 30
|
Total
| |
| 132 | 2051 Apr 26
|
Total
|
137 | 2051 Oct 19
|
Total
| |
| 142 | 2052 Apr 14
|
Penumbral
|
147 | 2052 Oct 08
|
Partial
| |
| Last set | 2049 Jun 15 | Last set | 2048 Dec 20 | |||
| Next set | 2053 Mar 04 | Next set | 2053 Aug 29 | |||
Metonic series
[edit]The Metonic cycle repeats nearly exactly every 19 years and represents a Saros cycle plus one lunar year. Because it occurs on the same calendar date, the Earth's shadow will in nearly the same location relative to the background stars.
This series has 9 events centered on May 6th and October 30th: (saros number)
| Ascending node | Descending node |
|---|---|
|
|
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 partial solar eclipses of Solar Saros 129.
| April 30, 2041 | May 11, 2059 |
|---|---|
|
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See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ "May 6–7, 2050 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)". timeanddate. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 2050 May 06" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 2050 May 06". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
External links
[edit]- 2050 May 06 chart: Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA/GSFC
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