A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Monday, May 16, 2022,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.4155. 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 1.3 days after perigee (on May 17, 2022, at 11:30 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[2]
| Total eclipse | |||||||||||||||||
_(cropped).jpg) Totality as viewed from Irvine, California, 4:44 UTC | |||||||||||||||||
| Date | May 16, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamma | −0.2532 | ||||||||||||||||
| Magnitude | 1.4155 | ||||||||||||||||
| Saros cycle | 131 (34 of 72) | ||||||||||||||||
| Totality | 84 minutes, 53 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Partiality | 207 minutes, 14 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Penumbral | 318 minutes, 40 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Because this event occurred near lunar perigee, it was referred to some in media coverage as a "super flower blood moon"[Note 1][3][4][5] and elsewhere as a "super blood moon",[6][7][8] a supermoon that coincides with a total lunar eclipse. This was the longest total lunar eclipse visible from nearly all of North America since August 17, 1989 until the next eclipse on November 8.[9][10]
The eclipse was a dark one with the northern limb of the Moon passing through the center of Earth's shadow. This was the first central eclipse of Lunar Saros 131.
This lunar eclipse was the third of an almost tetrad, with the others being on May 26, 2021 (total); November 19, 2021 (partial); and November 8, 2022 (total).
Visibility
editThe eclipse was completely visible over North and South America, seen rising over western North America and the central Pacific Ocean and setting over Europe and Africa.[11]
 
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 Visibility map |
Gallery
editNorth and South America
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Spring Hill, FL 10:45 UTC -
Los Angeles, CA at moonrise, 3:08 UTC -
Buenos Aires, Argentina, 3:26 UTC -
Minneapolis, MN, 3:34 UTC -
San Antonio, TX, 3:36 UTC -
Santa Ana, CA at 4:13 UTC -
Mexico City, Mexico, 4:15 UTC -
Greenville County, SC, 4:15 UTC -
Houston, TX, 4:16 UTC -
Sacramento, CA, 4:33 UTC -
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Eclipse progression as seen from Linden Hills, Minneapolis -
From Irvine, California at 4:44 UTC
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Europe
edit-
Eclipse progression as seen from Oria, Italy -
Berlin, Germany at moonset, 2:52 UTC -
Totality from Marseille, France -
Animation from Madrid, Spain
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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.[12]
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Penumbral Magnitude | 2.37433 |
| Umbral Magnitude | 1.41545 |
| Gamma | −0.25323 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 03h31m49.5s |
| Sun Declination | +19°05'13.4" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 15'49.2" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.7" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 15h31m27.8s |
| Moon Declination | -19°19'40.4" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 16'29.9" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 1°00'33.1" |
| ΔT | 70.4 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.
| April 30 Ascending node (new moon) |
May 16 Descending node (full moon) |
|---|---|
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| Partial solar eclipse Solar Saros 119 |
Total lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 131 |
Related eclipses
editEclipses in 2022
edit- A partial solar eclipse on April 30.
- A total lunar eclipse on May 16.
- A partial solar eclipse on October 25.
- A total lunar eclipse on November 8.
Metonic
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 27, 2018
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 3, 2026
Tzolkinex
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 4, 2015
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 26, 2029
Half-Saros
edit- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of May 10, 2013
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of May 21, 2031
Tritos
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 15, 2011
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 14, 2033
Lunar Saros 131
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 4, 2004
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 26, 2040
Inex
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 4, 1993
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 26, 2051
Triad
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 16, 1935
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 17, 2109
Lunar eclipses of 2020–2023
edit| Lunar eclipse series sets from 2020–2023 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Descending node | Ascending node | |||||||
| Saros | Date | Type Viewing |
Gamma | Saros | Date Viewing |
Type Chart |
Gamma | |
111
|
2020 Jun 05
|
Penumbral
|
1.24063 | 116
|
2020 Nov 30
|
Penumbral
|
−1.13094 | |
121
|
2021 May 26
|
Total
|
0.47741 | 126_(cropped).jpg)
|
2021 Nov 19
|
Partial
|
−0.45525 | |
| 131
|
2022 May 16
|
Total
|
−0.25324 | 136
|
2022 Nov 08
|
Total
|
0.25703 | |
141
|
2023 May 05
|
Penumbral
|
−1.03495 | 146
|
2023 Oct 28
|
Partial
|
0.94716 | |
| Last set | 2020 Jul 05 | Last set | 2020 Jan 10 | |||||
| Next set | 2024 Mar 25 | Next set | 2024 Sep 18 | |||||
Saros 131
editLunar Saros series 131, has 72 lunar eclipses. Solar Saros 138 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros series.
This eclipse series began in AD 1427 with a partial eclipse at the southern edge of the Earth's shadow when the Moon was close to its descending node. Each successive Saros cycle, the Moon's orbital path is shifted northward with respect to the Earth's shadow, with the first total eclipse occurring in 1950. For the following 252 years, total eclipses occur, with the central eclipse being predicted to occur in 2078. The first partial eclipse after this is predicted to occur in the year 2220, and the final partial eclipse of the series will occur in 2707. The total lifetime of the lunar Saros series 131 is 1280 years. Solar Saros 138 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros series.
Because of the ⅓ fraction of days in a Saros cycle, the visibility of each eclipse will differ for an observer at a given fixed locale. For the lunar Saros series 131, the first total eclipse of 1950 had its best visibility for viewers in Eastern Europe and the Middle East because mid-eclipse was at 20:44 UT. The following eclipse in the series occurred approximately 8 hours later in the day with mid-eclipse at 4:47 UT, and was best seen from North America and South America. The third total eclipse occurred approximately 8 hours later in the day than the second eclipse with mid-eclipse at 12:43 UT, and had its best visibility for viewers in the Western Pacific, East Asia, Australia and New Zealand. This cycle of visibility repeats from the initiation to termination of the series, with minor variations. Solar Saros 138 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros series.
Lunar Saros series 131, repeating every 18 years and 11 days, has a total of 72 lunar eclipse events including 57 umbral lunar eclipses (42 partial lunar eclipses and 15 total lunar eclipses). Solar Saros 138 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 will occur on 2094 Jun 28, lasting 102 minutes.[13] |
Penumbral | Partial | Total | Central |
| 1427 May 10 | 1553 July 25 | 1950 Apr 2 | 2022 May 16 | |
| Last | ||||
| Central | Total | Partial | Penumbral | |
| 2148 Jul 31 | 2202 Sep 3 | 2563 Apr 9 | 2707 Jul 7 | |
| 1914 Mar 12 | 1932 Mar 22 | 1950 Apr 2 | |||
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| 1968 Apr 13 | 1986 Apr 24 | 2004 May 4 | |||
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| 2022 May 16 | 2040 May 26 | 2058 Jun 6 | |||
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| 2076 Jun 17 | 2094 Jun 28 | ||||
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This is the first of the series that passes through the center of the Earth's shadow. The last occurrence was the May 2004 lunar eclipse. The next occurrence is the May 2040 lunar eclipse.
Metonic series
editThis eclipse is the third of four Metonic cycle lunar eclipses on the same date, 15–16 May, each separated by 19 years.
The Moon's path through the Earth's shadow near its descending node progresses southward through each sequential eclipse. The second and third are total eclipses.
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 be in nearly the same location relative to the background stars.
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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 138.
| May 10, 2013 | May 21, 2031 |
|---|---|
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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 15–16, 2022 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)". timeanddate. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "Lunar Eclipse: What Does the Term 'Super Flower Blood Moon' Mean?". NBC Chicago. 15 May 2022. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Look up! "Super flower blood moon" lunar eclipse is coming Sunday night". Michigan Radio. 11 May 2022. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Elizabeth Howell (15 May 2022). "The Super Flower Blood Moon lunar eclipse of 2022 occurs tonight! Here's what to expect". Space.com. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Prest, Victoria (14 May 2022). "Rare 'super blood moon' and how to see it from Yorkshire". YorkshireLive. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Super blood moon to appear Sunday night: here's how to see it". SILive. 15 May 2022. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Reminder: You can see a 'super blood moon' Lunar Eclipse this weekend". Curiocity. 12 May 2022. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Elizabeth Howell (16 May 2022). "Super Flower Blood Moon of 2022, longest total lunar eclipse in 33 years, wows stargazers". Space.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Mann, Adam (15 May 2022). "A Total Lunar Eclipse in Prime-Time". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 2022 May 16" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse of 2022 May 16". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ Listing of Eclipses of cycle 131
- ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
External links
edit
- 2022 May 16 chart: Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA/GSFC