A total lunar eclipse occurred at the MoonâÂÂs ascending node of orbit on Sunday, July 26, 1953, with an umbral magnitude of 1.8629. It was a central lunar eclipse, in which part of the Moon passed through the center of the Earth's shadow. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon's near side entirely passes into the Earth's umbral shadow. Unlike a solar eclipse, which can only be viewed from a relatively small area of the world, a lunar eclipse may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of Earth. A total lunar eclipse can last up to nearly two hours, while a total solar eclipse lasts only a few minutes at any given place, because the Moon's shadow is smaller. Occurring about 2.1 days before perigee (on July 28, 1953, at 14:45 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
With an umbral lunar eclipse magnitude of 1.8629, this was the largest lunar eclipse of the 20th century, larger than any since 1765 and until 2264. Gamma had a value of only âÂÂ0.0071. Due to the Moon's relatively large size, totality lasted 100 minutes and 42 seconds unlike July 16, 2000, which lasted 106 minutes and 25 seconds, the longest since August 13, 1859 (which was only 3 seconds longer). This was the darkest total lunar eclipse in the 20th century.
The eclipse was completely visible over Australia, Antarctica, and much of the Pacific Ocean, seen rising over much of Asia and setting over North and South America.
Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
This eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two (or occasionally three) eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months (173 days) later; thus two full eclipse seasons always occur each year. Either two or three eclipses happen each eclipse season. In the sequence below, each eclipse is separated by a fortnight.
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 135.