A penumbral lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Saturday, March 1, 1980, with an umbral magnitude of −0.4404. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when part or all of the Moon's near side passes into the Earth's penumbra. 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. Occurring about 1.6 days before apogee (on March 3, 1980, at 10:50 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
Visibility
The eclipse was completely visible over Africa, Europe, and much of Asia, seen rising over northeastern North America and eastern South America and setting over northeast Asia and Australia.
Eclipse details
Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
Eclipse season
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.
Related eclipses
Eclipses in 1980
- A total solar eclipse on February 16.
- A penumbral lunar eclipse on March 1.
- A penumbral lunar eclipse on July 27.
- An annular solar eclipse on August 10.
- A penumbral lunar eclipse on August 26.
Metonic
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 13, 1976
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 20, 1983
Tzolkinex
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 18, 1973
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 14, 1987
Half-Saros
- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of March 7, 1989
Tritos
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 2, 1969
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 30, 1991
Lunar Saros 142
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 19, 1962
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 13, 1998
Inex
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 23, 1951
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 9, 2009
Triad
- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 30, 1893
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 31, 2066
Lunar eclipses of 1977–1980
This 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.
The penumbral lunar eclipse on July 27, 1980 occurs in the next lunar year eclipse set.
Saros 142
This eclipse is a part of Saros series 142, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, and containing 73 events. The series started with a penumbral lunar eclipse on September 19, 1709. It contains partial eclipses from May 5, 2088 through July 10, 2196; total eclipses from July 22, 2214 through April 21, 2665; and a second set of partial eclipses from May 3, 2683 through July 29, 2827. The series ends at member 73 as a penumbral eclipse on November 17, 3007.
The longest duration of totality will be produced by member 34 at 103 minutes, 54 seconds on September 15, 2304. All eclipses in this series occur at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit.
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.
Tritos series
This eclipse is a part of a tritos cycle, repeating at alternating nodes every 135 synodic months (≈ 3986.63 days, or 11 years minus 1 month). Their appearance and longitude are irregular due to a lack of synchronization with the anomalistic month (period of perigee), but groupings of 3 tritos cycles (≈ 33 years minus 3 months) come close (≈ 434.044 anomalistic months), so eclipses are similar in these groupings.
Inex series
This eclipse is a part of the long period inex cycle, repeating at alternating nodes, every 358 synodic months (≈ 10,571.95 days, or 29 years minus 20 days). Their appearance and longitude are irregular due to a lack of synchronization with the anomalistic month (period of perigee). However, groupings of 3 inex cycles (≈ 87 years minus 2 months) comes close (≈ 1,151.02 anomalistic months), so eclipses are similar in these groupings.
Half-Saros cycle
A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros). This lunar eclipse is related to two partial solar eclipses of Solar Saros 149.
See also
- List of lunar eclipses
- List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links
- 1980 Mar 01 chart Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA/GSFC
