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May 2021 lunar eclipse

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Total lunar eclipse
May 26, 2021
Ecliptic north up

The moon will pass through the center of the Earth's shadow.
Saros (and member) 121 (56 of 84)
Gamma +0.4774
Duration (hr:mn:sc)
Totality 0:14:30
Partial 3:07:25
Penumbral 5:02:05
Contacts (UTC)
P1 8:47:39
U1 9:44:57
U2 11:11:25
Greatest 11:18:40
U3 11:25:55
U4 12:52:22
P4 13:49:41

A total lunar eclipse will take place 26 May 2021. It will be the first total lunar eclipse since the January 2019 lunar eclipse. It will be visible in areas of southeast Asia, all of Australia, all of Oceania, most of Alaska and Canada, most of the USA, all of Hawaii, all of Mexico and Central America, and most of South America.

Visibility


Hemisphere of visibility at maximum eclipse

Visibility map

Contact timing

Local times of contacts
Time Zone
adjustments from
UTC 		+8h +11h +13h -10h -8h -7h -6h -5h -4h
AWST AEDT NZDT HST AKDT PDT MDT CDT EDT
Event Evening May 26 / Morning May 27 Morning May 26
P1 Penumbral begins 4:48 pm 7:48 pm 9:48 pm 10:48 pm 12:48 am 1:48 am 2:48 am 3:48 am 4:48 am
U1 Partial begins 5:45 pm 8:45 pm 10:45 pm 11:45 pm 1:45 am 2:45 am 3:45 am 4:45 am 5:16 am
U2 Total begins 7:11 pm 10:11 pm 12:11 am 1:11 am 3:11 am 4:11 am 5:11 am 6:11 am Set
Greatest eclipse 7:19 pm 10:19 pm 12:19 am 1:19 am 3:19 am 4:19 am 5:19 am 6:19 am Set
U3 Total ends 7:26 pm 10:26 pm 12:26 am 1:26 am 3:26 am 4:26 am 5:26 am Set Set
U4 Partial ends 9:52 pm 12:52 am 1:52 am 2:52 am 4:52 am Set Set Set Set
P4 Penumbral ends 10:50 pm 1:50 am 3:50 am 3:50 am 5:50 am Set Set Set Set

† The Moon was not visible during this part of the eclipse in this time zone.

Contact points relative to the Earth's umbral and penumbral shadows, here with the Moon near its descending node.
The timing of total lunar eclipses are determined by its contacts:[1]
  • P1 (First contact): Beginning of the penumbral eclipse. Earth's penumbra touches the Moon's outer limb.
  • U1 (Second contact): Beginning of the partial eclipse. Earth's umbra touches the Moon's outer limb.
  • U2 (Third contact): Beginning of the total eclipse. The Moon's surface is entirely within Earth's umbra.
  • Greatest eclipse: The peak stage of the total eclipse. The Moon is at its closest to the center of Earth's umbra.
  • U3 (Fourth contact): End of the total eclipse. The Moon's outer limb exits Earth's umbra.
  • U4 (Fifth contact): End of the partial eclipse. Earth's umbra leaves the Moon's surface.
  • P4 (Sixth contact): End of the penumbral eclipse. Earth's penumbra no longer makes contact with the Moon.

Eclipses of 2021

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

It is part of Saros cycle 121.

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 annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 128.

20 May 2012 1 June 2030

See also

References

  1. ^ Clarke, Kevin. "On the nature of eclipses". Inconstant Moon. Cyclopedia Selenica. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
  2. ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lunar eclipse of 2021 May 26.
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