September 2015 lunar eclipse

Total lunar eclipse September 28, 2015
From Murrieta, California, 2:52 UTC
Ecliptic north up The Moon passes right to left (west to east) through Earth's shadow
Saros (and member)	137 (28 of 81)
Gamma	−0.3296
Magnitude	1.2764
Duration (hr:mn:sc)
Totality	1:11:55
Partial	3:19:52
Penumbral	5:10:41
Contacts (UTC)
P1	0:11:47
U1	1:07:11
U2	2:11:10
Greatest	2:47:08
U3	3:23:05
U4	4:27:03
P4	5:22:27
The Moon crosses Earth's shadow in Pisces, passing west to east (right to left) as shown here in hourly movements. Uranus, at magnitude 5.7, can be seen in binoculars 16 degrees east of the total eclipsed Moon.

A total lunar eclipse took place between 27 and 28 September 2015. It was seen on Sunday evening, 27 September, in the Americas; while in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, it was seen in the early hours of Monday morning, 28 September. It was the latter of two total lunar eclipses in 2015, and the final in a tetrad (four total lunar eclipses in series). Other eclipses in the tetrad are those of 15 April 2014, 8 October 2014, and 4 April 2015.

The Moon appeared larger than normal, because the Moon was just 1 hour past its closest approach to Earth in 2015 at mid-eclipse, sometimes called a supermoon. The Moon's apparent diameter was larger than 34' viewed straight overhead, just off the coast of northeast Brazil.

The total lunar eclipse was darker than expected, possibly due to ash left behind from eruptions of the Calbuco volcano in April 2015.

Background

Main article: Lunar eclipse

This animated video explains the September 2015 supermoon lunar eclipse.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes within Earth's umbra (shadow). As the eclipse begins, Earth's shadow first darkens the Moon slightly. Then, the shadow begins to "cover" part of the Moon, turning it a dark red-brown color (typically – the color can vary based on atmospheric conditions). The Moon appears to be reddish because of Rayleigh scattering (the same effect that causes sunsets to appear reddish) and the refraction of that light by Earth's atmosphere into its umbra.

The following simulation shows the approximate appearance of the Moon passing through Earth's shadow. The Moon's brightness is exaggerated within the umbral shadow. The northern portion of the Moon was closest to the center of the shadow, making it darkest, and most red in appearance.

Visibility

The eclipse was visible over Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and America.

View of Earth from Moon at greatest eclipse	Simulated appearance of Earth and atmospheric ring of sunlight

Timing

Local times of contacts

Time Zone adjustments from UTC		-7h	-6h	-5h	-4h	-3h	-2h	-1h	0h	+1h	+2h	+3h
		PDT MST	MDT	CDT PET	EDT BOT	ADT AMST ART			GMT WET	WEST CET BST	CEST EET MSK−1	EEST FET MSK
Event		Evening 27 September							Morning 28 September
P1	Penumbral begins*	N/A†	N/A†	7:12 pm	8:12 pm	9:12 pm	10:12 pm	11:12 pm	12:12 am	1:12 am	2:12 am	3:12 am
U1	Partial begins	N/A†	7:07 pm	8:07 pm	9:07 pm	10:07 pm	11:07 pm	12:07 am	1:07 am	2:07 am	3:07 am	4:07 am
U2	Total begins	7:11 pm	8:11 pm	9:11 pm	10:11 pm	11:11 pm	12:11 am	1:11 am	2:11 am	3:11 am	4:11 am	5:11 am
	Mid-eclipse	7:47 pm	8:47 pm	9:47 pm	10:47 pm	11:47 pm	12:47 am	1:47 am	2:47 am	3:47 am	4:47 am	5:47 am
U3	Total ends	8:23 pm	9:23 pm	10:23 pm	11:23 pm	12:23 am	1:23 am	2:23 am	3:23 am	4:23 am	5:23 am	6:23 am
U4	Partial ends	9:27 pm	10:27 pm	11:27 pm	12:27 am	1:27 am	2:27 am	3:27 am	4:27 am	5:27 am	6:27 am	Set
P4	Penumbral ends	10:22 pm	11:22 pm	12:22 am	1:22 am	2:22 am	3:22 am	4:22 am	5:22 am	6:22 am	Set	Set

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

* The penumbral phase of the eclipse changes the appearance of the Moon only slightly and is generally not noticeable.

Contact points relative to 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: 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.

Gallery

• 
  The stages of the Lunar eclipse from Staffordshire, UK
• 
  Time-lapse images from Oslo, Norway
• 
  Time-lapse images from Bregenz, Austria
• 
  Warsaw, Poland, 2:01 - 2:16 UTC
• 
  Denver, Colorado, 2:15 UTC
• 
  Fray Bentos, Uruguay 2:28 UTC
• 
  Tampa, Florida, 2:30 UTC
• 
  New York City, New York, 2:36 UTC
• 
  Wrocław, Poland, 2:36 UTC
• 
  Zürich, Switzerland, 2:36 UTC
• 
  Coralville, Iowa, 2:52 UTC
• 
  Munich, Germany, 2:55 UTC
• 
  Sitia, Greece, 3:01 UTC
• 
  Berlin, Germany, 3:05 UTC
• 
  Mill Valley, California, 3:07 UTC
• 
  Munich, Germany, 3:23 UTC
• 
  Boston, Massachusetts, 3:24 UTC
• 
  Germany, 3:37 UTC
• 
  Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire, France, 4:02 UTC
• 
  California, 4:07 UTC

Supermoon

Further information: Supermoon

This eclipsed Moon appeared 12.9% larger in diameter than the April 2015 lunar eclipse, measured as 29.66' and 33.47' in diameter from Earth's center, as compared in these simulated images.

A supermoon is the coincidence of a full moon or a new moon with the closest approach the Moon makes to the Earth on its elliptical orbit, resulting in the largest apparent size of the lunar disk as seen from Earth. This was the last supermoon lunar eclipse until 31 January 2018.

Related eclipses

Eclipses of 2015

• A total solar eclipse on 20 March.
• A total lunar eclipse on 4 April.
• A partial solar eclipse on 13 September.
• A total lunar eclipse on 28 September.

The eclipse was one of four lunar eclipses in a short-lived series at the descending node of the Moon's orbit.

The lunar year series repeats after 12 lunations, or 354 days (shifting back about 10 days in sequential years). Because of the date shift, Earth's shadow will be about 11 degrees west in sequential events.

Lunar eclipse series sets from 2013–2016
Ascending node					Descending node
Saros	Viewing date	Type	Gamma		Saros	Viewing date	Type	Gamma
112	2013 Apr 25	Partial	−1.0121		117	2013 Oct 18	Penumbral	1.1508
122	2014 Apr 15	Total	−0.3017		127	2014 Oct 08	Total	0.3827
132	2015 Apr 04	Total	0.4460		137	2015 Sep 28	Total	−0.3296
142	2016 Mar 23	Penumbral	1.1592		147	2016 Sep 16	Penumbral	−1.0549
Last set	2013 May 25				Last set	2012 Nov 28
Next set	2017 Feb 11				Next set	2016 Aug 18

Saros series

It is part of Saros series 137.

Half-Saros cycle

A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros). This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of solar saros 144.

22 September 2006	2 October 2024

See also

• List of lunar eclipses and List of 21st-century lunar eclipses

External links

• 2015 Sep 28 chart: Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA/GSFC
• Hermit eclipse: 2015-09-28