A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Wednesday, May 26, 2021,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.0112. 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 14 hours after perigee (on May 25, 2021, at 21:50 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[2]
| Total eclipse | |||||||||||||||||
 Totality as viewed from Mountain View, California at 11:23 UTC, end of totality | |||||||||||||||||
| Date | May 26, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamma | 0.4774 | ||||||||||||||||
| Magnitude | 1.0112 | ||||||||||||||||
| Saros cycle | 121 (55 of 82) | ||||||||||||||||
| Totality | 14 minutes, 30 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Partiality | 187 minutes, 25 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Penumbral | 302 minutes, 2 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
It was the first total lunar eclipse since the January 2019 lunar eclipse, and the first in a series of an almost tetrad (with four consecutive total or deep partial lunar eclipses).[3] The next total eclipse occurred in May 2022. The event took place near lunar perigee; as a result, this supermoon was referred to in US media coverage as a "super flower blood moon",[Note 1][4][5] and elsewhere as a "super blood moon".[6][7]
This lunar eclipse was the first of an almost tetrad, with the others being on November 19, 2021 (partial); May 16, 2022 (total); and November 8, 2022 (total).
Visibility
editThe eclipse was completely visible over Australia and the central Pacific Ocean, seen rising over south and east Asia and setting over North and South America.[8]
| Visibility map |
Timing
editLocal times are recomputed here for the time zones of the areas where the eclipse was visible:
| Time Zone adjustments from UTC |
+8h | +10h | +12h | -10h | -8h | -7h | -6h | -5h | -4h | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWST | AEST | NZST | HST | AKDT | PDT | MDT | CDT | EDT | |||||
| Event | Evening 26 May / Morning 27 May | Morning 26 May | |||||||||||
| P1 | Penumbral began | 4:48 pm | 6:48 pm | 8:48 pm | 10:48 pm | 12:48 am | 1:48 am | 2:48 am | 3:48 am | 4:48 am | |||
| U1 | Partial began | 5:45 pm | 7:45 pm | 9:45 pm | 11:45 pm | 1:45 am | 2:45 am | 3:45 am | 4:45 am | 5:16 am | |||
| U2 | Total began | 7:11 pm | 9:11 pm | 11:11 pm | 1:11 am | 3:11 am | 4:11 am | 5:11 am | 6:11 am | Set | |||
| Greatest eclipse | 7:19 pm | 9:19 pm | 11:19 pm | 1:19 am | 3:19 am | 4:19 am | 5:19 am | 6:19 am | Set | ||||
| U3 | Total ended | 7:26 pm | 9:26 pm | 11:26 pm | 1:26 am | 3:26 am | 4:26 am | 5:26 am | Set | Set | |||
| U4 | Partial ended | 8:52 pm | 10:52 pm | 12:52 am | 2:52 am | 4:52 am | Set | Set | Set | Set | |||
| P4 | Penumbral ended | 9:50 pm | 11:50 pm | 1:50 am | 3:50 am | 5:50 am | Set | Set | Set | Set | |||
The timing of total lunar eclipses are determined by its contacts:[9]
|
Gallery
edit-
Garrett County, Maryland, 9:43 UTC
-
Minneapolis, Minnesota, 10:19 UTC
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Berwick Forest, New Zealand, 10:52 UTC
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Taoyuan, Taiwan, 11:02 UTC
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Banyuwangi, Indonesia, 11:03 UTC
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Canberra, Australia, 11:11 UTC
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Manila, Philippines, 11:13 UTC
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Laguna, Philippines, 11:15 UTC
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Geelong, Victoria, 11:23 UTC
-
Tarlac, Philippines, 11:32 UTC
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Kediri, Indonesia, 11:32 UTC
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Magetan, Indonesia, 11:34 UTC
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New South Wales, Australia, 12:01 UTC
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New South Wales, Australia, 12:21 UTC
-
Chennai, India, 13:27 UTC
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Eclipse details
editShown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[10]
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Penumbral Magnitude | 1.95575 |
| Umbral Magnitude | 1.01120 |
| Gamma | 0.47741 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 04h14m03.6s |
| Sun Declination | +21°12'25.4" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 15'47.3" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.7" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 16h14m37.8s |
| Moon Declination | -20°44'15.0" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 16'42.9" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 1°01'20.5" |
| ΔT | 70.0 s |
Eclipse season
editThis 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 26 Descending node (full moon) |
June 10 Ascending node (new moon) |
|---|---|
| Total lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 121 |
Annular solar eclipse Solar Saros 147 |
Related eclipses
editEclipses in 2021
edit- A total lunar eclipse on May 26.
- An annular solar eclipse on June 10.
- A partial lunar eclipse on November 19.
- A total solar eclipse on December 4.
Metonic
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 7, 2017
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 14, 2025
Tzolkinex
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 15, 2014
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 6, 2028
Half-Saros
edit- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of May 20, 2012
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of June 1, 2030
Tritos
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 26, 2010
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 25, 2032
Lunar Saros 121
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 16, 2003
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 6, 2039
Inex
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 15, 1992
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 6, 2050
Triad
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 26, 1934
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 27, 2108
Lunar eclipses of 2020–2023
editThis eclipse is a member of a semester series. An eclipse in a semester series of lunar eclipses repeats approximately every 177 days and 4 hours (a semester) at alternating nodes of the Moon's orbit.[11]
The penumbral lunar eclipses on January 10, 2020 and July 5, 2020 occur in the previous lunar year eclipse set.
| Lunar eclipse series sets from 2020 to 2023 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Descending node | Ascending node | |||||||
| Saros | Date Viewing |
Type Chart |
Gamma | Saros | Date Viewing |
Type Chart |
Gamma | |
| 111 |
2020 Jun 05 |
Penumbral |
1.2406 | 116 |
2020 Nov 30 |
Penumbral |
−1.1309 | |
| 121 |
2021 May 26 |
Total |
0.4774 | 126 |
2021 Nov 19 |
Partial |
−0.4553 | |
| 131 |
2022 May 16 |
Total |
−0.2532 | 136 |
2022 Nov 08 |
Total |
0.2570 | |
| 141 |
2023 May 05 |
Penumbral |
−1.0350 | 146 |
2023 Oct 28 |
Partial |
0.9472 | |
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Saros 121
editThis eclipse is a part of Saros series 121, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, and containing 82 events. The series started with a penumbral lunar eclipse on October 6, 1047. It contains partial eclipses from May 10, 1408 through July 3, 1498; total eclipses from July 13, 1516 through May 26, 2021; and a second set of partial eclipses from June 6, 2039 through August 11, 2147. The series ends at member 82 as a penumbral eclipse on March 18, 2508.
The longest duration of totality was produced by member 43 at 100 minutes, 29 seconds on October 18, 1660. All eclipses in this series occur at the Moon’s descending node of orbit.[12]
| Greatest | First | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The greatest eclipse of the series occurred on 1660 Oct 18, lasting 100 minutes, 29 seconds.[13] | Penumbral | Partial | Total | Central |
| 1047 Oct 06 |
1408 May 10 |
1516 Jul 13 |
1570 Aug 15 | |
| Last | ||||
| Central | Total | Partial | Penumbral | |
| 1949 Apr 13 |
2021 May 26 |
2147 Aug 11 |
2508 Mar 18 | |
Eclipses are tabulated in three columns; every third eclipse in the same column is one exeligmos apart, so they all cast shadows over approximately the same parts of the Earth.
| Series members 43–64 occur between 1801 and 2200: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 44 | 45 | |||
| 1805 Jan 15 | 1823 Jan 26 | 1841 Feb 06 | |||
| 46 | 47 | 48 | |||
| 1859 Feb 17 | 1877 Feb 27 | 1895 Mar 11 | |||
| 49 | 50 | 51 | |||
| 1913 Mar 22 | 1931 Apr 02 | 1949 Apr 13 | |||
| 52 | 53 | 54 | |||
| 1967 Apr 24 | 1985 May 04 | 2003 May 16 | |||
| 55 | 56 | 57 | |||
| 2021 May 26 | 2039 Jun 06 | 2057 Jun 17 | |||
| 58 | 59 | 60 | |||
| 2075 Jun 28 | 2093 Jul 08 | 2111 Jul 21 | |||
| 61 | 62 | 63 | |||
| 2129 Jul 31 | 2147 Aug 11 | 2165 Aug 21 | |||
| 64 | |||||
| 2183 Sep 02 | |||||
Metonic series
editFirst eclipse: May 26, 2002 Second eclipse: May 26, 2021. Third eclipse: May 26, 2040. Fourth eclipse: May 27, 2059.
Half-Saros cycle
editA lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).[14] This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 128.
| May 20, 2012 | June 1, 2030 |
|---|---|
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ A full moon occurring in May has been termed a "Flower moon" in the US as recorded in the Old Farmer's Almanac.
References
edit- ^ "May 25–26, 2021 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)". timeanddate. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "26 May 2021 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)". timeanddate.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ^ Look up! The Super Flower Blood Moon lunar eclipse is coming 26 May Archived 2021-05-24 at the Wayback Machine www.space.com
- ^ "The 'Super Flower Blood Moon' Is About to Light Up Skies! How to Watch This Week's Celestial Event". People.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ "Sydney takes 'pole position' in rare super blood moon display". smh.com.au. 26 May 2021. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- ^ "Catch the super flower blood moon last night? It may not have been all it was cracked up to be". abc.net.au. 26 May 2021. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 2021 May 26" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ Clarke, Kevin. "On the nature of eclipses". Inconstant Moon. Cyclopedia Selenica. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
- ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 2021 May 26". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ van Gent, R.H. "Solar- and Lunar-Eclipse Predictions from Antiquity to the Present". A Catalogue of Eclipse Cycles. Utrecht University. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ "NASA - Catalog of Lunar Eclipses of Saros 121". eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov.
- ^ Listing of Eclipses of series 121
- ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
Media related to Lunar eclipse of 2021 May 26 at Wikimedia Commons
