December 2001 lunar eclipse
| Penumbral eclipse | |||||||||
Hourly motion shown right to left | |||||||||
| Date | December 30, 2001 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamma | 1.0731 | ||||||||
| Magnitude | −0.1141 | ||||||||
| Saros cycle | 144 (15 of 71) | ||||||||
| Penumbral | 243 minutes, 32 seconds | ||||||||
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A penumbral lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Sunday, December 30, 2001, with an umbral magnitude of −0.1141. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when part or all of the Moon's near side passes into the Earth's penumbra. 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. Occurring about 3.7 days before perigee (on January 2, 2002, at 2:10 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.