Dec. 10, 2011, Total Lunar Eclipse Belongs to Saros Series 135

Summary: The Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011, total lunar eclipse belongs to Saros cycle 135, a series of 71 similar lunar eclipses.

Penumbral lunar eclipse of Thursday, April 13, 1615, opened Saros 135’s lineup of 71 lunar eclipses: "Permission is freely granted to reproduce this data when accompanied by an acknowledgment, Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak and Jean Meeus (NASA's GSFC)," via NASA Eclipse Web Site

The Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011, total lunar eclipse belongs to Saros cycle 135, which comprises 71 lunar eclipses with similar geometries.

December’s total lunar eclipse begins Saturday, Dec. 10, at 11:33:32 Universal Time, according to NASA’s Eclipse Web Site. Greatest eclipse takes place at 14:31:49 UT. Greatest eclipse indicates the instant of the moon’s closest passage to the axis of Earth’s shadow. The eclipse ends at 17:30:00 UT.

December 2011’s total lunar eclipse appears as number 23 in the lineup of 71 lunar eclipses that compose Saros cycle 135. Similar geometries classify the 71 lunar eclipses as a family, known as a series.

Retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak’s EclipseWise website describes Saros 135 lunar eclipses as sharing the geometry of occurring at the moon’s descending node. With each succeeding eclipse in Saros 135, the lunar movement is northward with respect to the descending node.

The descending node pairs with the ascending node as intersecting points of Earth’s orbit by the moon’s orbit. The two nodes reveal the approximately 5.1 degree tilt of the lunar orbit with respect to Earth’s orbit. The ascending node concerns the moon’s orbital crossing to the north of Earth’s orbit. The descending node connects with the lunar orbital crossing to the south of Earth’s orbit.

A Saros cycle of approximately 6,585.3 days (18 years 11 days 8 hours) informs the periodicity and recurrence of eclipses. A Saros cycle separates each successive eclipse in the series. A series comprises 70 or more lunar eclipses. A Saros series typically lasts for 12 to 15 centuries.

Saros series 135 endures for 1,262.11 years, according to NASA Eclipse Web Site. Saros series 135 continues for 13 centuries. Saros series 135 spans the 17th through 29th centuries.

Lunar eclipses in Saros cycle 135 sequence as nine penumbral lunar eclipses, 10 partial lunar eclipses, 23 total lunar eclipses, seven partial lunar eclipses and 22 penumbral lunar eclipses. Penumbral lunar eclipses occur with the most frequency in Saros series 135, with a total of 31 occurrences. Total lunar eclipses appear as the second most frequent lunar eclipse type in the series, with a total of 23 occurrences.

The 17th century’s penumbral eclipse of Thursday, April 13, 1615, initiated Saros cycle 135. This event staged its greatest eclipse over the South Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar.

The 29th century’s penumbral eclipse of Tuesday, May 18, 2877, ends Saros series 135. This event’s greatest eclipse will take place over the South Indian Ocean, southeast of the island of Lakeba in the island Republic of Fiji’s Lau archipelago.

The Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011, total lunar eclipse occurs as number four within the sequence of 23 total lunar eclipses in Saros series 135. This event will experience its greatest eclipse over the northwestern Pacific Ocean, southwest of the Japanese island of Iwo Jima and northwest of the U.S. Territory of Guam.

The total lunar eclipse of Monday, Nov. 29, 1993, is the immediate predecessor of December 2011’s total lunar eclipse. This event’s greatest eclipse occurred over Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve (Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra Gorda) in Mexico’s north-central state of Querétaro.

The Nov. 29, 1993, total lunar eclipse appears as number three within the sequence of 23 total lunar eclipses in Saros series 135. This eclipse occurs as number 22 in the series’ lineup of 71 lunar eclipses.

The total lunar eclipse of Thursday, Dec. 20, 2029, is the successor of the Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011, total lunar eclipse in Saros series 135. This event’s greatest eclipse will take place over southwestern Kufra District in southeastern Libya.

The December 2029 eclipse occurs as number five within the sequence of 23 total lunar eclipses in Saros series 135. This eclipse appears as number 24 in the series’ lineup of 71 lunar eclipses.

The takeaway for the Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011, total lunar eclipse is that the astronomical event occurs as number 23 in Saros series 135’s lineup of 71 lunar eclipses and as number four in the series’ sequence of 23 total lunar eclipses.

Penumbral lunar eclipse of Tuesday, May 18, 2877, will close Saros 135’s lineup of 71 lunar eclipses: "Permission is freely granted to reproduce this data when accompanied by an acknowledgment, Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak and Jean Meeus (NASA's GSFC)," via NASA Eclipse Web Site

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Penumbral lunar eclipse of Thursday, April 13, 1615, opened Saros 135’s lineup of 71 lunar eclipses: "Permission is freely granted to reproduce this data when accompanied by an acknowledgment, Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak and Jean Meeus (NASA's GSFC)," via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCLEmap/1601-1700/LE1615-04-13N.gif

Penumbral lunar eclipse of Tuesday, May 18, 2877, will close Saros 135’s lineup of 71 lunar eclipses: "Permission is freely granted to reproduce this data when accompanied by an acknowledgment, Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak and Jean Meeus (NASA's GSFC)," via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCLEmap/2801-2900/LE2877-05-18N.gif

For further information:

Espenak, Fred. “Eclipses During 2011.” NASA Eclipse Web Site > Lunar Eclipses > Lunar Eclipses: Past and Future.
Available via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OH2011.html

Espenak, Fred. “Key to Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series." NASA Eclipse Web Site > Lunar Eclipses > Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series > Lunar Eclipses of Saros Series 1 to 180.
Available via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEsaros/LEsaroscatkey.html

Espenak, Fred. “Penumbral 1615 Apr 13.” NASA Eclipse Web Site > Lunar Eclipses > Lunar Eclipse Page: Lunar Eclipse Catalogs: Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series > Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series: Lunar Eclipses of Saros Series 1 to 180: Summary of Saros Series 126 to 150: 135 > Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series: Saros Series 135: 01 -36 1615 Apr 13.
Available via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCLEmap/1601-1700/LE1615-04-13N.gif

Espenak, Fred. “Penumbral 2877 May 18.” NASA Eclipse Web Site > Lunar Eclipses > Lunar Eclipse Page: Lunar Eclipse Catalogs: Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series > Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series: Lunar Eclipses of Saros Series 1 to 180: Summary of Saros Series 126 to 150: 135 > Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series: Saros Series 135: 71 34 2877 May 18.
Available via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCLEmap/2801-2900/LE2877-05-18N.gif

Espenak, Fred. “Penumbral Lunar Eclipse of 1615 Apr 13.” EclipseWise > Lunar Eclipses > Lunar Eclipse Links > Six Millennium Catalog of Lunar Eclipses -2999 to +3000 (3000 BCE to 3000 CE) > 1601 to 1700 (1601 CE to 1700 CE).
Available via EclipseWise @ http://eclipsewise.com/lunar/LEprime/1601-1700/LE1615Apr13Nprime.html

Espenak, Fred. “Penumbral Lunar Eclipse of 2877 May 18.” EclipseWise > Lunar Eclipses > Lunar Eclipse Links > Six Millennium Catalog of Lunar Eclipses -2999 to +3000 (3000 BCE to 3000 CE) > 2801 to 2900 (2801 CE to 2900 CE).
Available via EclipseWise @ http://eclipsewise.com/lunar/LEprime/2801-2900/LE2877May18Nprime.html

Espenak, Fred. “Total 1993 Nov 29." NASA Eclipse Web Site > Lunar Eclipses > Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series > Saros Series 135.
Available via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCLEmap/1901-2000/LE1993-11-29T.gif

Espenak, Fred. “Total 2011 Dec 10.” NASA Eclipse Web Site > Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series > Lunar Eclipses of Saros Series 1 to 180 > Saros Series 135.
Available via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCLEmap/2001-2100/LE2011-12-10T.gif

Espenak, Fred. “Total 2029 Dec 20." NASA Eclipse Web Site > Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series > Lunar Eclipses of Saros Series 1 to 180 > Saros Series 135.
Available via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCLEmap/2001-2100/LE2029-12-20T.gif

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Available via EclipseWise @ http://eclipsewise.com/lunar/LEprime/1901-2000/LE1993Nov29Tprime.html

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Available via EclipseWise @ http://eclipsewise.com/lunar/LEprime/2001-2100/LE2011Dec10Tprime.html

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Available via EclipseWise @ http://eclipsewise.com/lunar/LEprime/2001-2100/LE2029Dec20Tprime.html

Espenak, Fred; Jean Meeus. "Saros Series 135." NASA Eclipse Web Site > Lunar Eclipses > Catalog of Lunar Eclipse Saros Series.
Available via NASA Eclipse Web Site @ https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEsaros/LEsaros135.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “First of Two 2011 Total Lunar Eclipses Happens Wednesday, June 15.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, June 8, 2011.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2011/06/first-of-two-2011-total-lunar-eclipses.html

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Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2011/06/june-15-2011-total-lunar-eclipse.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Second of Two 2011 Total Lunar Eclipses Happens Saturday, Dec. 10.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2011/12/second-of-two-2011-total-lunar-eclipses.html

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Available @ https://moonblink.info/Eclipse/eclipse/1615_04_13

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Available @ https://moonblink.info/Eclipse/eclipse/2877_05_18

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Available @ https://moonblink.info/Eclipse/eclipse/2011_12_10

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