January 2038 lunar eclipse
| Penumbral eclipse | |||||||||
The Moon's hourly motion shown right to left | |||||||||
| Date | January 21, 2038 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamma | 1.0710 | ||||||||
| Magnitude | −0.1127 | ||||||||
| Saros cycle | 144 (17 of 70) | ||||||||
| Penumbral | 245 minutes, 48 seconds | ||||||||
| |||||||||
A penumbral lunar eclipse will occur at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Thursday, January 21, 2038, with an umbral magnitude of −0.1127. 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 3.1 days before perigee (on January 24, 2038, at 4:50 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter will be larger.
This eclipse will be the first of four penumbral lunar eclipses in 2038, with the others occurring on June 17, July 16, and December 11.