December 2038 lunar eclipse
| Penumbral eclipse | |||||||||
The Moon's hourly motion shown right to left | |||||||||
| Date | December 11, 2038 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamma | −1.1448 | ||||||||
| Magnitude | −0.2876 | ||||||||
| Saros cycle | 116 (59 of 73) | ||||||||
| Penumbral | 258 minutes, 27 seconds | ||||||||
| |||||||||
A penumbral lunar eclipse will occur at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Saturday, December 11, 2038, with an umbral magnitude of −0.2876. 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 3.3 days after apogee (on December 8, 2038, at 8:35 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter will be smaller.
This eclipse will be the last of four penumbral lunar eclipses in 2038, with the others occurring on January 21, June 17, and July 16.