A partial
lunar eclipse
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow. Such alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six months, during the full moon phase, when the Moon's orbital plane is closest to the plane of the Eart ...
took place on Saturday, February 21, 1970. It was the first of two partial lunar eclipses in 1970, the other being on
August 17
Events Pre-1600
*309/310 – Pope Eusebius is banished by the Emperor Maxentius to Sicily, where he dies, possibly from a hunger strike.
* 682 – Pope Leo II begins his pontificate.
* 986 – Byzantine–Bulgarian wars: Battle of ...
of the same year. A tiny bite out of the Moon may have been visible at maximum, though just 5% of the Moon was shadowed in a partial eclipse which lasted for 52 minutes and 42 seconds. A shading across the moon from the Earth's penumbral shadow should have been visible at maximum eclipse.
Occurring only 2.4 days after apogee (Apogee on Wednesday, February 18, 1970), the Moon's apparent diameter was 6% smaller than average. The Moon was only 404,163 km (251,135 mi) from the Earth's center.
Visibility
It was completely visible over eastern Asia, Australia, Pacific, Americas, western Europe, seen rising over northwestern Pacific Ocean and setting over the north Atlantic Ocean.
Relation to other lunar eclipses
Lunar year series
Metonic cycle
This is the third of five Metonic lunar eclipses.
Half-Saros cycle
A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a
half saros).
[Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, ''The half-saros''] This lunar eclipse is related to two total solar eclipses of
Solar Saros 120
The Saros cycle series 120 for solar eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs du ...
.
See also
*
List of lunar eclipses
There are several lists of lunar eclipses
On the Moon, by the Earth
; Type
* List of central lunar eclipses
* Total penumbral lunar eclipse
A total penumbral lunar eclipse is a lunar eclipse that occurs when the Moon becomes completely immersed ...
*
List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
A total of 229 lunar eclipses took place in the 20th century: 83 penumbral, 65 partial and 81 total.
See also: Lists of lunar eclipses, List of 19th-century lunar eclipses and List of 21st-century lunar eclipses
List
Eclipses from 2001 to ...
Notes
External links
*
1970-02
1970 in science
February 1970 events
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