Eclipses of the Moon can occur when the Moon is near one of its two orbital nodes [1] during the Full Moon phase. It is then possible for the Moon to pass through Earth's penumbral or umbral shadows thereby producing an eclipse. There are three types of lunar eclipses:
Furthermore, total eclipses can be classified as either central [2] or non-central.
The visual appearance of each of these eclipse types differs dramatically from each other.
The recurrence of lunar eclipses is governed by the Saros cycle. For more information, see Periodicity of Lunar Eclipses.
During the five Millennium period -1999 to +3000 (2000 BCE to 3000 CE[3]), Earth will experience 12064 lunar eclipses. The following table shows the number of eclipses of each type over this period.
| Lunar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000 | |||
| Eclipse Type | Symbol | Number | Percent |
| All Eclipses | - | 12064 | 100.0% |
| Penumbral | N | 4378 | 36.3% |
| Partial | P | 4207 | 34.9% |
| Total | T | 3479 | 28.8% |
During most penumbral eclipses, only part of the Moon passes through Earth's penumbral shadow. However, it is also possible to have a penumbral eclipse in which the Moon passes completely within Earth's penumbral shadow without entering the inner umbral shadow. Such total penumbral eclipses are quite rare compared to normal (or partial) penumbral eclipses. The table below shows the distribution of the two penumbral eclipse types during the 5000-year period of this Catalog.
| Penumbral Lunar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000 | ||
| Classification | Number | Percent |
| All | 4378 | 100.0% |
| Partial Penumbral | 4237 | 96.8% |
| Total Penumbral | 141 | 3.2% |
Total lunar eclipses through Earth's umbral shadow can be categorized as:
Using the above categories, the distribution of the 3,479 total eclipses is shown in the table below.
| Total Lunar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000 | ||
| Classification | Number | Percent |
| All | 3479 | 100.0% |
| Central Total | 2074 | 59.6% |
| Non-Central Total | 1405 | 40.4% |
There are a minimum of two and a maximum of five lunar eclipses in every calendar year. Statistics for the number of eclipses each year over the 5000 year period are listed below.
| Number of Eclipses Per Year | ||
| Number of Eclipses | Number of Years | Percent |
| 2 | 3541 | 70.8% |
| 3 | 887 | 17.7% |
| 4 | 539 | 10.8% |
| 5 | 33 | 0.7% |
The longest eclipses of the 5,000 year period are listed below.
Longest Penumbral Lunar Eclipse: 1322 Nov 24 Duration = 296.5m
Longest Partial Lunar Eclipse: 2669 Feb 08 Duration = 210.0m
Longest Total Lunar Eclipse: 0318 May 31 Duration = 106.6m
The table below summarizes the statistical distribution of lunar eclipse types over this five millennium period. Each line in the table corresponds to one century and gives the breakdown of each eclipse type (penumbral, partial, and total). The date intervals themselves are each a link to a catalog listing complete details for every lunar eclipse in the selected century. The data in these 100 year eclipse tables include the date and time of greatest eclipse[4], ΔT, lunar libration number, Saros series, the eclipse type, quincena solar eclipse parameter, gamma, eclipse magnitudes, eclipse phase durations, and local circumstances. For a detailed key and additional information about the catalogs, see: Key to Catalog of Lunar Eclipses.
Five Millennium Catalog of Lunar Eclipses | |||||
| Century Interval | All Lunar Eclipses |
Penumbral Eclipses |
Partial Eclipses |
Total Eclipses |
Total Eclipse Tetrads |
| -1999 to -1900 | 242 | 88 [84,4] | 92 | 62 [13,49] | 1 |
| -1899 to -1800 | 255 | 98 [97,1] | 97 | 60 [11,49] | 0 |
| -1799 to -1700 | 254 | 94 [94,0] | 99 | 61 [12,49] | 0 |
| -1699 to -1600 | 244 | 90 [87,3] | 87 | 67 [21,46] | 3 |
| -1599 to -1500 | 226 | 85 [81,4] | 54 | 87 [62,25] | 8 |
| -1499 to -1400 | 228 | 86 [78,8] | 60 | 82 [55,27] | 6 |
| -1399 to -1300 | 239 | 83 [80,3] | 90 | 66 [23,43] | 2 |
| -1299 to -1200 | 251 | 92 [91,1] | 99 | 60 [09,51] | 0 |
| -1199 to -1100 | 252 | 96 [95,1] | 95 | 61 [13,48] | 0 |
| -1099 to -1000 | 240 | 88 [81,7] | 86 | 66 [18,48] | 4 |
| -0999 to -0900 | 228 | 80 [72,8] | 61 | 87 [59,28] | 7 |
| -0899 to -0800 | 225 | 79 [76,3] | 62 | 84 [57,27] | 7 |
| -0799 to -0700 | 239 | 87 [85,2] | 88 | 64 [21,43] | 1 |
| -0699 to -0600 | 253 | 91 [91,0] | 102 | 60 [10,50] | 0 |
| -0599 to -0500 | 255 | 95 [95,0] | 100 | 60 [11,49] | 0 |
| -0499 to -0400 | 242 | 88 [86,2] | 90 | 64 [19,45] | 1 |
| -0399 to -0300 | 229 | 80 [79,1] | 61 | 88 [54,34] | 7 |
| -0299 to -0200 | 228 | 79 [76,3] | 64 | 85 [55,30] | 6 |
| -0199 to -0100 | 240 | 85 [84,1] | 86 | 69 [21,48] | 3 |
| -0099 to 0000 | 253 | 94 [93,1] | 98 | 61 [11,50] | 0 |
| 0001 to 0100 | 251 | 93 [92,1] | 101 | 57 [07,50] | 0 |
| 0101 to 0200 | 239 | 84 [82,2] | 88 | 67 [23,44] | 3 |
| 0201 to 0300 | 228 | 83 [75,8] | 63 | 82 [53,29] | 6 |
| 0301 to 0400 | 227 | 76 [72,4] | 69 | 82 [58,24] | 4 |
| 0401 to 0500 | 244 | 83 [82,1] | 95 | 66 [18,48] | 3 |
| 0501 to 0600 | 254 | 97 [96,1] | 95 | 62 [12,50] | 0 |
| 0601 to 0700 | 255 | 97 [94,3] | 100 | 58 [10,48] | 0 |
| 0701 to 0800 | 240 | 84 [82,2] | 88 | 68 [23,45] | 3 |
| 0801 to 0900 | 228 | 79 [74,5] | 60 | 89 [65,24] | 8 |
| 0901 to 1000 | 230 | 82 [79,3] | 70 | 78 [45,33] | 6 |
| 1001 to 1100 | 246 | 87 [84,3] | 97 | 62 [14,48] | 0 |
| 1101 to 1200 | 259 | 98 [98,0] | 102 | 59 [10,49] | 0 |
| 1201 to 1300 | 251 | 95 [94,1] | 96 | 60 [12,48] | 0 |
| 1301 to 1400 | 231 | 81 [73,8] | 73 | 77 [41,36] | 6 |
| 1401 to 1500 | 228 | 80 [77,3] | 65 | 83 [60,23] | 4 |
| 1501 to 1600 | 233 | 82 [79,3] | 74 | 77 [39,38] | 6 |
| 1601 to 1700 | 249 | 91 [88,3] | 97 | 61 [11,50] | 0 |
| 1701 to 1800 | 256 | 98 [98,0] | 98 | 60 [13,47] | 0 |
| 1801 to 1900 | 249 | 90 [88,2] | 97 | 62 [11,51] | 0 |
| 1901 to 2000 | 229 | 83 [74,9] | 65 | 81 [48,33] | 5 |
| 2001 to 2100 | 228 | 86 [81,5] | 57 | 85 [61,24] | 8 |
| 2101 to 2200 | 238 | 81 [77,4] | 88 | 69 [24,45] | 4 |
| 2201 to 2300 | 252 | 94 [93,1] | 97 | 61 [11,50] | 0 |
| 2301 to 2400 | 253 | 95 [95,0] | 98 | 60 [12,48] | 0 |
| 2401 to 2500 | 237 | 83 [77,6] | 85 | 69 [23,46] | 4 |
| 2501 to 2600 | 227 | 82 [77,5] | 58 | 87 [64,23] | 8 |
| 2601 to 2700 | 230 | 81 [80,1] | 70 | 79 [44,35] | 7 |
| 2701 to 2800 | 241 | 86 [83,3] | 91 | 64 [16,48] | 0 |
| 2801 to 2900 | 259 | 100 [99,1] | 102 | 57 [09,48] | 0 |
| 2901 to 3000 | 249 | 89 [89,0] | 97 | 63 [13,50] | 1 |
Penumbral Eclipses: The first value is the number of all penumbral eclipses. The values in the square "[ ]" brackets are the number of partial and total penumbral eclipses, respectively.
Total Eclipses: The first value is the number of all total eclipses (umbral). The values in the square "[ ]" brackets are the number of central and non-central total eclipses, respectively.
The Gregorian calendar is used for all dates from 1582 Oct 15 onwards. Before that date, the Julian calendar is used. For more information on this topic, see Calendar Dates. The Julian calendar does not include the year 0. Thus the year 1 BCE is followed by the year 1 CE (See: BCE/CE Dating Conventions ). This is awkward for arithmetic calculations. Years in this catalog are numbered astronomically and include the year 0. Historians should note there is a difference of one year between astronomical dates and BCE dates. Thus, the astronomical year 0 corresponds to 1 BCE, and astronomical year -1 corresponds to 2 BCE, etc..
Lunar eclipse predictions must take into account the enlargement of Earth's shadows. In this Catalog, Earth's penumbral and umbral shadow sizes have been calculated using Danjon's enlargement method.
The coordinates of the Sun used in the predictions are based on the VSOP87 theory [Bretagnon and Francou, 1988]. The Moon's coordinates are based on the ELP-2000/82 theory [Chapront-Touze and Chapront, 1983]. For more information, see: Solar and Lunar Ephemerides. The revised value used for the Moon's secular acceleration is n-dot = -25.858 arc-sec/cy*cy, as deduced from the Apollo lunar laser ranging experiment (Chapront, Chapront-Touze, and Francou, 2002).
The largest uncertainty in the eclipse predictions is caused by fluctuations in Earth's rotation due primarily to tidal friction of the Moon. The resultant drift in apparent clock time is expressed as ΔT and is determined as follows:
A series of polynomial expressions have been derived to simplify the evaluation of ΔT for any time from -1999 to +3000. The uncertainty in ΔT over this period can be estimated from scatter in the measurements.
[1] The Moon's orbit is inclined about 5.1° to Earth's orbit around the Sun (i.e., the ecliptic). The two points where the orbits intersect are known as the nodes. The Moon moves from south to north of Earth's orbit at the ascending node, and from north to south at the descending node.
[3] Central total lunar eclipses are eclipses in which some portion of the Moon passes through the central axis of Earth's shadow. All penumbral and partial lunar eclipses are non-central eclipses since the Moon misses the shadow axis.
[3] The terms BCE and CE are abbreviations for "Before Common Era" and "Common Era," respectively. They are the secular equivalents to the BC and AD dating conventions. (See: Year Dating Conventions )
[4] Greatest eclipse is defined as the instant when the Moon's center passes closest to the axis of Earth's shadow cone.
The information presented on this web page is based on data published in Five Millennium Canon of Lunar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000 and Five Millennium Catalog of Lunar Eclipses: -1999 to +3000. The individual diagrams and maps appearing in links were extracted from full page plates appearing in Five Millennium Canon. The Besselian elements were provided by Jean Meeus. Fred Espenak assumes full responsibility for the accuracy of all eclipse calculations.
Permission is freely granted to reproduce this data when accompanied by an acknowledgment:
"Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak (NASA's GSFC)"
