A total lunar eclipse will occur at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Monday, May 6, 2069, with an umbral magnitude of 1.3242. It will be a central lunar eclipse, in which part of the Moon will pass through the center of the Earth's shadow. 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 2.3 days after apogee (on May 4, 2069, at 1:40 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter will be smaller.
This lunar eclipse will be the third of an almost tetrad, with the others being on May 17, 2068 (partial); November 9, 2068 (total); and October 30, 2069 (total).
This will be the first central eclipse of Lunar Saros 132.
The Moon will also occult the bright star Alpha Librae as seen from the southern hemisphere a few hours before greatest eclipse.Jean Meeus, G. P. Konnen, "Occultations of Bright Stars by the Eclipsed Moon", Journal of the British Astronomical Association, Vol. 85, No. 1, pp. 17-24 (1974).
Visibility The eclipse will be completely visible over western North America, Antarctica, and the eastern Pacific Ocean, seen rising over east Asia and Australia and setting over central and eastern North America and South America.
The moon's hourly motion across the Earth's shadow in the constellation of Libra.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+May 6, 2069 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.39773 Umbral Magnitude 1.32418 Gamma 0.27172 Sun Right Ascension 02h55m56.2s Sun Declination +16°44'53.2" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'51.4" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7" Moon Right Ascension 14h56m07.8s Moon Declination -16°30'25.4" Moon Semi-Diameter 14'46.2" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°54'12.3" ΔT 99.0 s
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. The first and last eclipse in this sequence is separated by one synodic month.
+ Eclipse season of April–May 2069 April 21Descending node (new moon) May 6Ascending node (full moon) May 20Descending node (new moon) Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 120 Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 132 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 158
Related eclipses Eclipses in 2069 A partial solar eclipse on April 21. A total lunar eclipse on May 6. A partial solar eclipse on May 20. A partial solar eclipse on October 15. A total lunar eclipse on October 30.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 17, 2065 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 22, 2073
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 25, 2062 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 17, 2076
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of April 30, 2060 Followed by: Solar eclipse of May 11, 2078
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 6, 2058 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 4, 2080
Lunar Saros 132 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 26, 2051 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 17, 2087
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 26, 2040 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 15, 2098
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 6, 1982 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 7, 2156
Lunar eclipses of 2067–2070
Metonic series
Saros 132
Tritos series
Inex series
Half-Saros cycle A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros This lunar eclipse is related to two total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 139. April 30, 2060May 11, 2078
See also List of lunar eclipses and List of 21st-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links NASA: Lunar Eclipses: Past and Future
Index to Five Millennium Catalog of Lunar Eclipses, -1999 to +3000 (2000 BCE to 3000 CE) Eclipses: 2001 to 2100
References Bao-Lin Liu, Canon of Lunar Eclipses 1500 B.C.-A.D. 3000, 1992