| Type: | total |
| Date: | August 28, 2007 |
| Gamma: | −0.2145 |
| Magnitude: | 1.4777 |
| Saros Ser: | 128 |
| Saros No: | 40 of 71 |
| Totality: | 90 minutes, 1 second |
| Partiality: | 212 minutes, 12 seconds |
| Penumbral: | 327 minutes, 17 seconds |
| P1: | 7:53:40 |
| U1: | 8:51:16 |
| U2: | 9:52:21 |
| Greatest: | 10:37:21 |
| U3: | 11:22:22 |
| U4: | 12:23:28 |
| P4: | 13:20:57 |
| Previous: | March 2007 |
| Next: | February 2008 |
A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Tuesday, August 28, 2007,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.4777. 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 2.4 days before perigee (on August 30, 2007, at 20:10 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.[2]
This was a relatively rare central lunar eclipse, where the Moon crossed the center of the Earth's shadow. It was the most recent central lunar eclipse of Saros series 128 as well as the "longest and deepest lunar eclipse to be seen in 7 years". In the total lunar eclipse of July 16, 2000 the moon passed within two arc minutes of the center of the Earth's shadow. In comparison, this still very deep eclipse was off-center by over 12 minutes of arc.[3] The next total lunar eclipse of a longer duration was on June 15, 2011.
Viewing from Oceania was favored for the eclipse, because at the moment of greatest eclipse (10:37:22 UTC), the Moon was at the zenith of French Polynesia. The Pacific regions of Canada and the continental United States (including all of Alaska) witnessed the whole event, along with most of eastern Australia, New Zealand and all the Pacific Island regions (except New Guinea), and the tip of the Chukchi Peninsula that includes the town of Uelen, Russia. The majority of the Americas observed an abbreviated eclipse, with moonset occurring at some time during the eclipse. Siberia, far eastern Russia, eastern South Asia, China, the rest of eastern and southeastern Asia, New Guinea, and the rest of Australia missed out on the beginning of the eclipse, because the eclipse occurred at or close to moonrise in those regions.[4]
Luzon (except Visayas and Mindanao) in the Philippines, particularly Metro Manila, missed the rare eclipse entirely, due to clouds in the area due to the rainy season, which saddened many eclipse watchers in the area, but the eclipse was sighted by other amateur astronomers in other parts of the country as the lunar eclipse seen in clear skies. The eclipse was also missed in New Guinea, especially Port Moresby because of clouds. Greenland, Europe (including western Russia), Africa, western Asia, western Central Asia, and western South Asia missed the eclipse completely.[5]
Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[6]
| Penumbral Magnitude | 2.45448 | |
| Umbral Magnitude | 1.47769 | |
| Gamma | −0.21456 | |
| Sun Right Ascension | 10h26m26.9s | |
| Sun Declination | +09°45'56.7" | |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 15'50.0" | |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.7" | |
| Moon Right Ascension | 22h26m50.4s | |
| Moon Declination | -09°57'18.5" | |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 16'12.5" | |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 0°59'29.2" | |
| ΔT | 65.4 s |
See also: Eclipse cycle. 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.
Lunar Saros 128 contains 15 total lunar eclipses between 1845 and 2097 (in years 1845, 1863, 1881, 1899, 1917, 1935, 1953, 1971, 1989, 2007, 2025, 2043, 2061, 2079 and 2097). Solar Saros 135 interleaves with this lunar saros with an event occurring every 9 years 5 days alternating between each saros series.
A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).[7] This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 135.