Summary
A total lunar eclipse took place on Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25, 1975, the first of two total lunar eclipses in 1975. The Moon was plunged into darkness for 1 hour and 28 minutes in a deep total eclipse which saw the Moon 43% of its diameter inside the Earth's umbral shadow. The visual effect of an eclipse depends on the state of the Earth's atmosphere, but the Moon may have been stained a deep red colour. The partial eclipse lasted for 3 hours and 35 minutes in total. Occurring only 4.4 days after perigee (Perigee on May 20, 1975), the Moon's apparent diameter was 0.7% larger than average. The moon was 377,010 km (234,263 mi) from the Earth at greatest eclipse.
| Total eclipse | |||||||||||||||||
| Date | 25 May 1975 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamma | 0.23674 | ||||||||||||||||
| Magnitude | 1.42533 | ||||||||||||||||
| Saros cycle | 130 (32 of 72) | ||||||||||||||||
| Totality | 88 minutes, 17.9 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Partiality | 215 minutes, 13.2 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Penumbral | 336 minutes, 0.7 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
The eclipse was a dark one with the southern tip of the moon passing through the center of the Earth's shadow. This was the first central eclipse of Saros series 130.
Visibility edit
It was completely visible over North and South America, seen rising over Australia on the evening of Sunday 25 May 1975, and setting over Africa, and Western Europe on the morning of Sunday 25 May 1975.
Related lunar eclipses edit
Eclipses in 1975 edit
- A partial solar eclipse on Sunday, 11 May 1975.
- A total lunar eclipse on Sunday, 25 May 1975.
- A partial solar eclipse on Monday, 3 November 1975.
- A total lunar eclipse on Tuesday, 18 November 1975.
Lunar year series edit
| Lunar eclipse series sets from 1973–1976 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascending node | Descending node | |||||||
| Saros | Date Viewing |
Type Chart |
Gamma | Saros | Date Viewing |
Type Chart |
Gamma | |
| 110 | 1973 Jun 15
|
Penumbral
|
−1.32166 | 115 | 1973 Dec 10
|
Partial
|
0.96441 | |
| 120 | 1974 Jun 04
|
Partial
|
−0.54887 | 125 | 1974 Nov 29
|
Total
|
0.30540 | |
| 130 | 1975 May 25
|
Total
|
0.23674 | 135 | 1975 Nov 18
|
Total
|
−0.41343 | |
| 140 | 1976 May 13
|
Partial
|
0.95860 | 145 | 1976 Nov 06
|
Penumbral
|
−1.12760 | |
| Last set | 1973 Jul 15 | Last set | 1973 Jan 18 | |||||
| Next set | 1977 Apr 04 | Next set | 1977 Sep 27 | |||||
Saros series edit
Lunar saros series 130, repeating every 18 years and 11 days, has a total of 71 lunar eclipse events including 56 umbral lunar eclipses (42 partial lunar eclipses and 14 total lunar eclipses). Solar Saros 137 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 2029 Jun 26, lasting 102 minutes.[1] |
Penumbral | Partial | Total | Central |
| 1416 Jun 10 | 1560 Sep 4 | 1921 Apr 22
|
1957 May 13
| |
| Last | ||||
| Central | Total | Partial | Penumbral | |
2083 Jul 29
|
2155 Sep 11 | 2552 May 10 | 2678 Jul 26 | |
| 1903 Apr 12 | 1921 Apr 22 | 1939 May 3 | |||
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1957 May 13 | 1975 May 25 | 1993 Jun 4 | |||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011 Jun 15 | 2029 Jun 26 | 2047 Jul 7 | |||
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2065 Jul 17 | 2083 Jul 29 | ||||
|
|
|
| ||
Half-Saros cycle edit
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 annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 137.
| May 20, 1966 | May 30, 1984 |
|---|---|
|
|
See also edit
References edit
External links edit
- 1975 May 25 chart Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA/GSFC
- The Total Lunar Eclipse of May 24-25, 1975, Feinstein, A., Forte, J. C., & Cabrera, A.