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August 1971 lunar eclipse

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August 1971 lunar eclipse
Total eclipse
Date6 August 1971
Gamma−0.07944
Magnitude1.72830
Saros cycle128 (38 of 71)
Totality99 minutes, 24.8 seconds
Partiality215 minutes, 31.9 seconds
Penumbral327 minutes, 33.3 seconds
Contacts (UTC)
P116:59:26.4
U117:55:25.2
U218:53:28.4
Greatest19:43:10.3
U320:32:53.2
U421:30:57.1
P422:26:49.7

A total lunar eclipse took place on Friday, August 6, 1971, the second of two total lunar eclipses in 1971. A dramatic total eclipse lasting 1 hour, 39 minutes and 24.8 seconds plunged the full Moon into deep darkness, as it passed right through the centre of the Earth's umbral shadow. While the visual effect of a total eclipse is variable, the Moon may have been stained a deep orange or red colour at maximum eclipse. This was a great spectacle for everyone who saw it. The partial eclipse lasted for 3 hours, 35 minutes and 31.9 seconds in total. Occurring only 2.2 days before perigee (Perigee on Monday, August 9, 1971), the Moon's apparent diameter was 3.6% larger than average and the moon passed through the center of the Earth's shadow.

Visibility

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It was completely visible over Africa and Asia, rising over South America, and setting over Australia.

Relation to other lunar eclipses

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Lunar year series

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Lunar eclipse series sets from 1969–1973
Ascending node   Descending node
Saros Date
Viewing
Type
Chart
Gamma Saros Date
Viewing
Type
Chart
Gamma
108 1969 Aug 27
Penumbral
−1.54066 113 1970 Feb 21
Partial
0.96198
118 1970 Aug 17
Partial
−0.80534 123 1971 Feb 10
Total
0.27413
128 1971 Aug 06
Total
−0.07944 133 1972 Jan 30
Total
−0.42729
138 1972 Jul 26
Partial
0.71167 143 1973 Jan 18
Penumbral
−1.08446
148 1973 Jul 15
Penumbral
1.51782
Last set 1969 Sep 25 Last set 1969 Apr 02
Next set 1973 Jun 15 Next set 1973 Dec 10

Saros series

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Lunar saros series 128, repeating every 18 years and 11 days, has a total of 71 lunar eclipse events including 57 umbral eclipses (42 partial lunar eclipses and 15 total lunar eclipses). Solar Saros 135 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros series.

Greatest First

The greatest eclipse of the series occurred on 1953 Jul 26, lasting 100.7 minutes.[1]
Penumbral Partial Total Central
1304 Jun 18 1430 Sep 2 1845 May 21 1899 Jun 23
Last
Central Total Partial Penumbral
2007 Aug 28 2097 May 21 2440 May 17 2566 Aug 2
1901–2100
1917 Jul 4 1935 Jul 16 1953 Jul 26
1971 Aug 6 1989 Aug 17 2007 Aug 28
2025 Sep 7 2043 Sep 19 2061 Sep 29
2079 Oct 10 2097 Oct 21

Lunar Saros 128 contains 15 total lunar eclipses between 1845 and 2097 (in years 1845, 1863, 1881, 1899, 1917, 1935, 1953, 1971, 1989, 2007, 2025, 2043, 2061, 2079 and 2097). Solar Saros 135 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros series.

Inex series

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The inex series repeats eclipses 20 days short of 29 years, repeating on average every 10571.95 days. This period is equal to 358 lunations (synodic months) and 388.5 draconic months. Saros series increment by one on successive Inex events and repeat at alternate ascending and descending lunar nodes.

This period is 383.6734 anomalistic months (the period of the Moon's elliptical orbital precession). Despite the average 0.05 time-of-day shift between subsequent events, the variation of the Moon in its elliptical orbit at each event causes the actual eclipse time to vary significantly. It is a part of Lunar Inex series 40.

All events in this series shown (from 1000 to 2500) are central total lunar eclipses.

Inex series from 1000–2500 AD
Descending node Ascending node Descending node Ascending node
Saros Date Saros Date Saros Date Saros Date
95 1016 May 24 96 1045 May 3 97 1074 Apr 14 98 1103 Mar 25
99 1132 Mar 3 100 1161 Feb 12 101 1190 Jan 23 102 1219 Jan 2
103 1247 Dec 13 104 1276 Nov 23 105 1305 Nov 2 106 1334 Oct 13
107 1363 Sep 23 108 1392 Sep 2 109 1421 Aug 13 110 1450 Jul 24
111 1479 Jul 4 112 1508 Jun 13
113 1537 May 24 114 1566 May 4
115 1595 Apr 24 116 1624 Apr 3 117 1653 Mar 14 118 1682 Feb 21
119 1711 Feb 3 120 1740 Jan 13 121 1768 Dec 23 122 1797 Dec 4
123 1826 Nov 14 124 1855 Oct 25 125 1884 Oct 4 126 1913 Sep 15
127 1942 Aug 26
128 1971 Aug 6
129 2000 Jul 16
130 2029 Jun 26
131 2058 Jun 6
132 2087 May 17
133 2116 Apr 27 134 2145 Apr 7
135 2174 Mar 18 136 2203 Feb 26 137 2232 Feb 7 138 2261 Jan 17
139 2289 Dec 27 140 2318 Dec 9 141 2347 Nov 19 142 2376 Oct 28
143 2405 Oct 8 144 2434 Sep 18 145 2463 Aug 29 146 2492 Aug 8

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 annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 135.

July 31, 1962 August 10, 1980

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Listing of Eclipses of cycle 128
  2. ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
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