May 2022 lunar eclipse
A total lunar eclipse occurred on 15–16 May 2022, the first of two total lunar eclipses in 2022.[1] The event occurred near lunar perigee; as a result, this event was referred to some in media coverage as a "super flower blood moon"[Note 1][2][3][4] and elsewhere as a "super blood moon",[5][6][7] 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.[8][9]
| Total eclipse | |||||||||||||||||
From Irvine, California at 4:44 UTC | |||||||||||||||||
| Date | 16 May 2022 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamma | −0.2532 | ||||||||||||||||
| Magnitude | 1.4137 | ||||||||||||||||
| Saros cycle | 131 (34 of 72) | ||||||||||||||||
| Totality | 84 minutes, 53 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Partiality | 207 minutes, 14 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| Penumbral | 318 minutes, 40 seconds | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
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, the others being 26 May 2021 (T), 19 Nov 2021 (P) and 08 Nov 2022 (T).
Visibility
The eclipse was completely visible over most of North and South America, seen rising over Northwest North America, and the Pacific Ocean, and setting over Africa and Europe. It was the longest eclipse in prime time on the US west coast this century.[10] Because of thunderstorms, clouds covered regions of the US.[11]
| Simulated view of earth from moon, with infrared clouds | Hourly motion shown right to left |
| Visibility map | |
Observations
North and South America
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Los Angeles, CA at moonrise, 3:08 UTC
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Buenos Aires, Argentina, 3:26 UTC
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Minneapolis, MN, 3:34 UTC
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San Antonio, TX, 3:36 UTC
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Santa Ana, CA at 4:13 UTC
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Mexico City, Mexico, 4:15 UTC
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Greenville County, SC, 4:15 UTC
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Houston, TX, 4:16 UTC
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Sacramento, CA, 4:33 UTC
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-
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Eclipse progression as seen from Linden Hills, Minneapolis
Europe
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Eclipse progression as seen from Oria, Italy
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Berlin, Germany at moonset, 2:52 UTC
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Totality from Marseille, France
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Animation from Madrid, Spain
Related eclipses
Eclipses of 2022
- A partial solar eclipse on 30 April.
- A total lunar eclipse on 16 May.
- A partial solar eclipse on 25 October.
- A total lunar eclipse on 8 November.
Lunar year series
| 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 | 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 series
Lunar 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.[12] | 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 | |||
| 1968 Apr 13 | 1986 Apr 24 | 2004 May 4 | |||
| 2022 May 16 | 2040 May 26 | 2058 Jun 6 | |||
| 2076 Jun 17 | 2094 Jun 28 | ||||
This is the first of the series that passes through the center of the Earth's shadow. The last occurrence was on May 2004 lunar eclipse. The next occurrence is May 2040 lunar eclipse.
Metonic series
This 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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Tritos
- Preceded: Lunar eclipse of June 15, 2011
- Followed: Lunar eclipse of April 14, 2033
Tzolkinex
- Preceded: Lunar eclipse of April 4, 2015
- Followed: Lunar eclipse of June 26, 2029
Half-Saros cycle
A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).[13] This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 138.
See also
Notes
- ^ A full moon occurring in May has been termed a "Flower moon" in the US as recorded in the Old Farmer's Almanac.
References
- ^ "Total Lunar Eclipse on November 7–8, 2022 – Where and When to See". timeanddate.com. from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Lunar Eclipse: What Does the Term 'Super Flower Blood Moon' Mean?". NBC Chicago. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 May 15–16, 2022". stories.timeanddate.com. from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Schneck, Marcus (May 2022). "Will weather mess with our chance of watching the lunar eclipse?". Pennlive. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ Listing of Eclipses of cycle 131
- ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
External links
- 2022 May 16 chart: Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA/GSFC