February 2009 lunar eclipse

February 2009 lunar eclipse
Penumbral eclipse
	Just before maximum eclipse (14:29 UTC) from Chennai, India
Date	9 February 2009
Gamma	−1.06401
Magnitude	0.89946
Saros cycle	143 (18 of 73)
Penumbral	238 minutes, 54 seconds
P1
Contacts (UTC)
P1	12:38:46
Greatest	14:38:15
P4	16:37:40
	← August 2008 July 2009 →

A penumbral lunar eclipse took place on February 9, 2009, the first of four lunar eclipses in 2009, and being the deepest of three penumbral eclipses.^[1] It also happened on the Lantern Festival, the first since February 20, 1989. The tables below contain detailed predictions and additional information on the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse of 9 February 2009.

Eclipse Season

This is the second eclipse this season.

First eclipse this season: 26 January 2009 Annular Solar Eclipse

Eclipse Characteristics

Penumbral Magnitude: 0.89946

Umbral Magnitude: -0.08818

Gamma: -1.06401

Opposition Times

Greatest Eclipse: 09 Feb 2009 14:38:15.4 UTC (14:39:21.2 TD)

Ecliptic Opposition: 09 Feb 2009 14:49:10.0 UTC (14:50:15.8 TD)

Equatorial Opposition: 09 Feb 2009 15:28:37.6 UTC (15:29:43.5 TD)

Geocentric Coordinates of Sun and Moon

Sun right ascension: 21 hours, 33 minutes, 30.0 seconds

Moon right ascension: 9 hours, 31 minutes, 42.1 seconds

Earth's shadow right ascension: 9 hours, 33 minutes, 30.0 seconds

Sun declination: 14 degrees, 30 minutes, 7.1 seconds south of Celestial Equator

Moon declination: 13 degrees, 31 minutes, 37.5 seconds north of Celestial Equator

Earth's shadow declination: 14 degrees, 30 minutes, 7.1 seconds north of Celestial Equator

Sun diameter: 1945.2 arcseconds

Moon diameter: 1969.6 arcseconds

Earth's penumbral shadow diameter: 2 degrees, 2063.52 arcseconds

Earth's umbral shadow diameter: 1 degree, 1773.36 arcseconds

Saros series: 143rd (17/72)

Delta T: 1 minute, 5.8 seconds

Penumbral Begins: 09 Feb 2009 12:38:46.4 UTC (12:39:52.2 TD)

Greatest Eclipse: 09 Feb 2009 14:38:15.4 UTC (14:39:21.2 TD)

Penumbral Ends: 09 Feb 2009 16:37:39.9 UTC (16:38:45.7 TD)

Total duration: 3 hours, 58 minutes, 53.5 seconds

Visibility

The eclipse was not visible in the East coast of the United States, South America and southernmost Mexico, Western Africa and western Europe. Best visibility was expected over most of Asia, the Western US, Mexico and throughout the Pacific region.^[2]

This simulated view shows the Earth and Sun as viewed from the center of the moon near contact points P1 and P4. The eclipse will be visible from earth from the locations of the world as seen on the Earth above.

Map

Relation to other eclipses

Eclipses of 2009

An annular solar eclipse on January 26.
A penumbral lunar eclipse on February 9.
A penumbral lunar eclipse on July 7.
A total solar eclipse on July 22.
A penumbral lunar eclipse on August 6.
A partial lunar eclipse on December 31.

Lunar eclipse series sets from 2006–2009
Descending node				Ascending node
Saros # and photo	Date Viewing	Type Chart	Gamma	Saros # and photo	Date Viewing	Type Chart	Gamma
113	2006 Mar 14	penumbral	1.0211	118	2006 Sep 7	partial	−0.9262
123	2007 Mar 03	total	0.3175	128	2007 Aug 28	total	−0.2146
133	2008 Feb 21	total	−0.3992	138	2008 Aug 16	partial	0.5646
143	2009 Feb 09	penumbral	−1.0640	148	2009 Aug 06	penumbral	1.3572

Last set	2005 Apr 24			Last set	2005 Oct 17

Next set	2009 Dec 31			Next set	2009 Jul 07

Half-Saros cycle

A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).^[3] This lunar eclipse is related to two partial solar eclipses of Solar Saros 150.