Top 10 Lunar Eclipses of the 2010s
Lunar eclipses (in which the Moon passes through Earth's shadow) occur with roughly the same frequency as solar eclipses. However, you are more likely to witness a lunar eclipse in your lifetime since they can last for nearly two hours, and anyone on the night side of Earth can view them given the right weather conditions.These are the top eclipses of the decade (2010-2019). Feel free to share your eclipse experiences here.
With an umbral magnitude of 1.6087, this eclipse wasn't quite as deep as the one on June 15, 2011 (which was 1.6999), but the Moon's farther distance from Earth made up for it, and it became the longest this century. It was the 38th member of 71 lunar eclipses in Lunar Saros 129, with the previous eclipse on July 16, 2000, which was its deepest member at magnitude 1.7684 and was total for a whopping 106 minutes 25 seconds, just 3 seconds shorter than on August 13, 1859.
At 102 minutes and 57 seconds, this is the longest eclipse of the 21st century (but not the longest of the millennium). Most of Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia were able to see this. Sadly, I was asleep at the time (it occurred in the very early morning here in the Philippines), so I didn't get to see it.
Sometimes called the "super blue blood moon" due to three events happening simultaneously in one night. It's a supermoon because it appears larger and brighter by a small amount. It's a blue moon because it's the second full moon of the month (the first occurred on January 2), and it's a blood moon due to its reddish appearance. This occurs due to atmospheric refraction of red light to the moon.
This eclipse was visible over most of Asia, Russia, and the western United States. The next occurrence will be in January 2037, still over the same location.
This eclipse was visible over most of North America. It occurred just under two years after the famed August 2017 total solar eclipse. It's referred to as the "super wolf blood moon" because it occurred during a supermoon and during the first month of the year (as referred to in the Farmer's Almanac). This was also the last total lunar eclipse of the decade. The next won't be until May 26, 2021 (where I managed to photograph it).
This was the first total lunar eclipse where I photographed the Moon in all eclipse stages. At an umbral magnitude of 1.1953, it wasn't extremely shallow like the April 4, 2015, or May 26, 2021, eclipses. However, it wasn't as deep as the June 15, 2011, eclipse (at magnitude 1.6999), which was the deepest since July 16, 2000 (at magnitude 1.7684), or July 27, 2018, which was the longest of this century and had an umbral magnitude of 1.6087.
It was a bit less deep than the September 28, 2015, eclipse (which was 1.282 in umbral magnitude and also happened during the supermoon). Interestingly, 19 years earlier, a total eclipse also happened on January 21, 2000 (thanks to the Metonic cycle), which was deeper (with an umbral magnitude of 1.3246) and longer in totality (15 minutes longer than this).
Totality lasted 61 minutes 59 seconds, and it was partial for 196 minutes 45 seconds and penumbral for 311 minutes 30 seconds from beginning to end. Since it happened during the supermoon, less than one day before perigee, it was the perfect treat for great lunar eclipse photography in good weather conditions. Additionally, we detected a tiny meteor colliding with the Moon during totality. The image on this item was taken by me when it happened.
It was the 27th member of 73 lunar eclipses in Lunar Saros 134, with the previous member on January 9, 2001, and the next member on January 31, 2037, which will be the first on that day since 2018 (as part of the ~19-year Metonic cycle).
This was the third eclipse of the 2014-2015 Blood Moon Tetrad (four consecutive total eclipses without any partial eclipses in between), and it was visible mostly over the Pacific. Normally, total lunar eclipses last many more minutes than even the longest total or annular solar eclipses. However, this was the shortest lunar eclipse in the past five centuries, at only 4 minutes and 44 seconds.
I wasn't able to see the reddening of the Moon as a result, but I did see it passing through Earth's shadow almost entirely.
Given how shallow this eclipse was (at magnitude 1.0008), it's easy to see why it was so short. Not since October 17, 1529, has there been a lunar eclipse this short or shorter, making it truly a once-in-a-lifetime event. The total lunar eclipse in 1529, on the other hand, lasted only 1 minute 42 seconds.
This was the 30th member of 71 lunar eclipses in Lunar Saros 132 and its first total member. The 29th member on March 24, 1997, was a deep partial eclipse of magnitude 0.9195. The 31st overall and second total member will be on April 24, 2033 (at magnitude 1.0944).
This eclipse happened one hour after the Moon made its closest approach to Earth. It was the first time since 2001 that this happened. The Moon was halfway between the edge and center of Earth's umbra (at magnitude 1.282), so it wasn't as deep as the June 15, 2011, eclipse (at magnitude 1.6999) or the July 28, 2017, eclipse (at magnitude 1.6087). However, the Moon was much darker than usual due to the leftover ash from the eruption of the Calbuco volcano in April that year.
The next supermoon lunar eclipse happened on January 31, 2018 (during a traditional blue moon), again on January 21, 2019, and May 26, 2021. Approximately 19 years ago (one Metonic cycle), in 1996, we had a lunar eclipse just one day off, on September 27.
This eclipse was the 28th member of 81 lunar eclipses in Lunar Saros 137, with the 27th member on September 14, 1997 (though no supermoon with that), and the 29th member on October 8, 2033 (which will happen during a supermoon, and will be the first during a lunar eclipse since May 26, 2021).
Most of the top eclipses here are total ones, but I have to give some credit to this partial eclipse. It is the last lunar eclipse of the decade, and the next one (not counting penumbral eclipses) will not be until May 26, 2021. Compared to other partial lunar eclipses, this one crossed much deeper into Earth's umbra.
This eclipse was visible over Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Unfortunately, I was asleep, and it was likely close to moonset when it happened, so I had no chance to see it.
This was the second lunar eclipse of 2019 and a deep partial eclipse, with ~65.31% of our Moon in Earth's umbral shadow (hence an umbral magnitude of 0.6531). It was the 22nd member of 81 lunar eclipses in Lunar Saros 139, as well as the first on July 16 since 2000 (except that one was total, with an umbral magnitude of 1.7684 and totality lasting a whopping 106 minutes 25 seconds).
This eclipse had an umbral magnitude of 1.2561 and was total for 72 minutes 21 seconds. It was the first time since 1638 that a total lunar eclipse fell on the day of the Winter Solstice. There will be a total lunar eclipse roughly one day before the solstice (for the American time zones but on the solstice in Asian and Australian time zones) in 2029, as part of the ~19-year Metonic cycle.
This eclipse took place over North America and northwestern parts of South America.
I remember this eclipse. I didn't see most of it because I had to go to bed during it. It sucked.
This was the second eclipse of the 2014-2015 tetrad. It was visible over the Pacific, Canada, and the United States. Despite being awake at the time, I didn't see it, probably due to clouds or because I just didn't notice. Back then, I didn't know when and where eclipses happened.
Lunar eclipses, like solar eclipses, also follow a predictable pattern, so I can simply look up online to check for the next eclipse occurring over my area.
It was the 42nd member of 72 lunar eclipses in Lunar Saros 127. Totality lasted 58 minutes and 50 seconds.
This eclipse happened ~6.7 days after apogee (the Moon's farthest approach from Earth), so the Moon looked unusually small from Earth. The umbral magnitude was 1.2962 (as the Moon was 29.62% of its mean diameter past the edge of totality) during its peak. Totality lasted 77 minutes 48 seconds, and it was the 56th member of 75 lunar eclipses in Lunar Saros 122.
The first of the 2014-2015 tetrad. It occurred over North and South America.