| Type: | total |
| Date: | December 31, 2028 |
| Gamma: | 0.3258 |
| Magnitude: | 1.2479 |
| Saros Ser: | 125 |
| Saros No: | 49 of 72 |
| Totality: | 71 minutes, 20 seconds |
| Partiality: | 208 minutes, 49 seconds |
| Penumbral: | 336 minutes, 13 seconds |
| P1: | 14:03:49 |
| U1: | 15:07:35 |
| U2: | 16:16:19 |
| Greatest: | 16:51:58 |
| U3: | 17:27:40 |
| U4: | 18:36:24 |
| P4: | 19:40:02 |
| Previous: | July 2028 |
| Next: | June 2029 |
A total lunar eclipse will occur at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Sunday, December 31, 2028,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.2479. 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 4.3 days before perigee (on January 4, 2029, at 23:15 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter will be larger.[2]
This eclipse will occur during a blue moon and is the first such eclipse to happen on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day since December 2009, and the first total lunar eclipse on New Year's Day in history. The next such eclipse will be in December 2047 (though January 2048 for most timezones).
The eclipse will be completely visible over eastern Europe, Asia, and Australia, seen rising over Africa and Europe and setting over the eastern Pacific Ocean and western North America.[3]
Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[4]
| Penumbral Magnitude | 2.27579 | |
| Umbral Magnitude | 1.24785 | |
| Gamma | 0.32583 | |
| Sun Right Ascension | 18h45m53.7s | |
| Sun Declination | -23°01'00.5" | |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 16'15.9" | |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.9" | |
| Moon Right Ascension | 06h46m08.4s | |
| Moon Declination | +23°19'37.5" | |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 15'49.4" | |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 0°58'04.3" | |
| ΔT | 73.4 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.
This is the 19th of 26 total lunar eclipses in series 125. The previous occurrence was on December 21, 2010 and the next will occur on January 12, 2047.
A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).[5] This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 132.