August 2017 lunar eclipse
Partial eclipse
Kuwait City, Kuwait, 19:14 UTC
Date7 August 2017
Gamma0.8668
Magnitude0.2464
Saros cycle119 (62 of 83)
Partiality115 minutes, 15 seconds
Penumbral300 minutes, 54 seconds
Contacts (UTC)
P115:50:02
U117:22:55
Greatest18:20:28
U419:18:10
P420:50:56

A partial lunar eclipse took place at the Moon's descending node on the evening of 7 August and the morning pre-dawn on 8 August 2017, the second of two lunar eclipses in 2017. The Moon was only slightly covered by the Earth's umbral shadow at maximum eclipse. The Moon's apparent diameter was smaller because the eclipse occurred only 5 days after apogee (Apogee on 2 August 2017).

The Moon inside the umbral shadow was a subtle red, but hard to see in contrast to the much brighter Moon in the outer penumbral shadow. The Moon looks red because it is illuminated by sunlight refracted through Earth's atmosphere. The blue light is scattered and absorbed by the atmosphere, leaving red light to shine onto the lunar surface.[1]

The solar eclipse of 21 August 2017, occurred fourteen days later, in the same eclipse season (Middle of the eclipse season occurred on 16 August 2017). It was the first total solar eclipse visible in the contiguous United States since the solar eclipse of 26 February 1979.

Visibility

It was visible over eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia with maximal visibility centered on Indian Ocean.


Visibility map

Eclipses of 2017

Lunar year series

Lunar eclipse series sets from 2016–2020
Descending node   Ascending node
Saros Date Type
Viewing		 Gamma Saros Date
Viewing		 Type
Chart		 Gamma
109 2016 Aug 18
 Penumbral
 1.56406 114
 2017 Feb 11
 Penumbral
 −1.02548
119
 2017 Aug 07
 Partial
 0.86690 124
 2018 Jan 31
 Total
 −0.30143
129
 2018 Jul 27
 Total
 0.11681 134
 2019 Jan 21
 Total
 0.36842
139
 2019 Jul 16
 Partial
 −0.64300 144
 2020 Jan 10
 Penumbral
 1.07270
149 2020 Jul 05
 Penumbral
 −1.36387
Last set 2016 Sep 16 Last set 2016 Mar 23
Next set 2020 Jun 05 Next set 2020 Nov 30

Saros series

It is part of Saros series 119 (member 61 of 82).

Half-Saros cycle

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 total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 126.

1 August 2008 12 August 2026

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Why does moon in total eclipse look red? | Astronomy Essentials | EarthSky". earthsky.org. January 18, 2019.
  2. ↑ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
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