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July 1972 lunar eclipse

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July 1972 lunar eclipse
Partial eclipse
Date26 July 1972
Gamma0.71167
Magnitude0.54271
Saros cycle138 (27 of 83)
Partiality160 minutes, 9.6 seconds
Penumbral312 minutes, 32.3 seconds
Contacts (UTC)
P104:39:21.9
U105:55:37.5
Greatest07:15:38.4
U408:35:47.1
P409:51:54.2

A partial lunar eclipse occurred on Tuesday, July 25, 1972 and Wednesday, July 26, 1972, the second of two lunar eclipses in 1972 with an umbral eclipse magnitude of 0.54271. A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves between the Sun and Moon but the three celestial bodies do not form a straight line in space. When that happens, a small part of the Moon's surface is covered by the darkest, central part of the Earth's shadow, called the umbra. The rest of the Moon is covered by the outer part of the Earth's shadow called the penumbra.[1] The moon's apparent diameter was 3.2 arcseconds smaller than the January 30, 1972 lunar eclipse.

Visibility

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The partial eclipse was visible in Australia, Pacific, Americas, western Africa, seen rising over eastern Australia on the evening on Wednesday, July 26, 1972 (Tuesday, July 25, 1972 in west of International Date Line) and setting over Atlantic on morning of Wednesday, July 26, 1972.

Relation to other lunar eclipses

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Eclipses in 1972

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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

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 total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 145.

July 20, 1963 July 31, 1981

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Saros series 138
  2. ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
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