# December 1992 lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Wednesday, December 9, 1992, with an umbral magnitude of 1.2709. 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 3.9 days before perigee (on December 13, 1992, at 21:05 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
According to Fred Espenak, this was the darkest eclipse in a decade, caused by the June 15, 1991 eruptions of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines.

## Visibility

The eclipse was completely visible over northern North America, Europe, Africa, and west, central, and north Asia, seen rising over much of North America and South America and setting over the eastern half of Asia.

## Eclipse details

Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
December 9, 1992 Lunar Eclipse Parameters :
| Parameter | Value |
| Penumbral Magnitude | 2.29154 |
| Umbral Magnitude | 1.27090 |
| Gamma | 0.31438 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 17h08m34.5s |
| Sun Declination | -22°54'48.3" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 16'14.5" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.9" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 05h08m35.3s |
| Moon Declination | +23°13'09.8" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 15'54.8" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 0°58'24.2" |
| ΔT | 59.1 s |

## Eclipse season

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.
Eclipse season of December 1992 :
| December 9 Descending node (full moon) | December 24 Ascending node (new moon) |
| Total lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 125 | Partial solar eclipse Solar Saros 151 |

## Related eclipses
### Eclipses in 1992

* An annular solar eclipse on January 4.
* A partial lunar eclipse on June 15.
* A total solar eclipse on June 30.
* A total lunar eclipse on December 9.
* A partial solar eclipse on December 24.

### Metonic

* Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 20, 1989
* Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 27, 1996

### Tzolkinex

* Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 28, 1985
* Followed by: Lunar eclipse of January 21, 2000

### Half-Saros

* Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 4, 1983
* Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 14, 2001

### Tritos

* Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 9, 1982
* Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 9, 2003

### Lunar Saros 125

* Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 29, 1974
* Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 21, 2010

### Inex

* Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 30, 1963
* Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 19, 2021

### Triad

* Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of February 9, 1906
* Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 10, 2079

### Lunar eclipses of 1991–1994

This eclipse is a member of a semester series. An eclipse in a semester series of lunar eclipses repeats approximately every 177 days and 4 hours (a semester) at alternating nodes of the Moon's orbit.
The penumbral lunar eclipses on January 30, 1991 and July 26, 1991 occur in the previous lunar year eclipse set.
Lunar eclipse series sets from 1991 to 1994 :
| Ascending node | Ascending node | Ascending node | Ascending node | Descending node | Descending node | Descending node | Descending node |
| Saros | Date Viewing | Type Chart | Gamma | Saros | Date Viewing | Type Chart | Gamma |
| 110 | 1991 Jun 27 | Penumbral | −1.4064 | 115 | 1991 Dec 21 | Partial | 0.9709 |
| 120 | 1992 Jun 15 | Partial | −0.6289 | 125 | 1992 Dec 09 | Total | 0.3144 |
| 130 | 1993 Jun 04 | Total | 0.1638 | 135 | 1993 Nov 29 | Total | −0.3994 |
| 140 | 1994 May 25 | Partial | 0.8933 | 145 | 1994 Nov 18 | Penumbral | −1.1048 |

### Saros 125

This eclipse is a part of Saros series 125, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, and containing 72 events. The series started with a penumbral lunar eclipse on July 17, 1163. It contains partial eclipses from January 17, 1470 through June 6, 1686; total eclipses from June 17, 1704 through March 19, 2155; and a second set of partial eclipses from March 29, 2173 through June 25, 2317. The series ends at member 72 as a penumbral eclipse on September 9, 2443.
The longest duration of totality was produced by member 37 at 100 minutes, 23 seconds on August 22, 1812. All eclipses in this series occur at the Moon’s descending node of orbit.
| Greatest | First | First | First | First |
| The greatest eclipse of the series occurred on 1812 Aug 22, lasting 100 minutes, 23 seconds. | Penumbral | Partial | Total | Central |
| The greatest eclipse of the series occurred on 1812 Aug 22, lasting 100 minutes, 23 seconds. | 1163 Jul 17 | 1470 Jan 17 | 1704 Jun 17 | 1758 Jul 20 |
| Last ||||
| The greatest eclipse of the series occurred on 1812 Aug 22, lasting 100 minutes, 23 seconds. | Central | Total | Partial | Penumbral |
| The greatest eclipse of the series occurred on 1812 Aug 22, lasting 100 minutes, 23 seconds. | 1920 Oct 27 | 2155 Mar 19 | 2317 Jun 25 | 2443 Sep 09 |
Eclipses are tabulated in three columns; every third eclipse in the same column is one exeligmos apart, so they all cast shadows over approximately the same parts of the Earth.
Series members 37–58 occur between 1801 and 2200: :
| 37 | 37 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 39 |
| 1812 Aug 22 | 1812 Aug 22 | 1830 Sep 02 | 1830 Sep 02 | 1848 Sep 13 | 1848 Sep 13 |
| 40 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 42 | 42 |
| 1866 Sep 24 | 1866 Sep 24 | 1884 Oct 04 | 1884 Oct 04 | 1902 Oct 17 | 1902 Oct 17 |
| 43 | 43 | 44 | 44 | 45 | 45 |
| 1920 Oct 27 | 1920 Oct 27 | 1938 Nov 07 | 1938 Nov 07 | 1956 Nov 18 | 1956 Nov 18 |
| 46 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 48 |
| 1974 Nov 29 | 1974 Nov 29 | 1992 Dec 09 | 1992 Dec 09 | 2010 Dec 21 | 2010 Dec 21 |
| 49 | 49 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 51 |
| 2028 Dec 31 | 2028 Dec 31 | 2047 Jan 12 | 2047 Jan 12 | 2065 Jan 22 | 2065 Jan 22 |
| 52 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 54 | 54 |
| 2083 Feb 02 | 2083 Feb 02 | 2101 Feb 14 | 2101 Feb 14 | 2119 Feb 25 | 2119 Feb 25 |
| 55 | 55 | 56 | 56 | 57 | 57 |
| 2137 Mar 07 | 2137 Mar 07 | 2155 Mar 19 | 2155 Mar 19 | 2173 Mar 29 | 2173 Mar 29 |
| 58 ||
| 2191 Apr 09 ||

### Tritos series

This eclipse is a part of a tritos cycle, repeating at alternating nodes every 135 synodic months (≈ 3986.63 days, or 11 years minus 1 month). Their appearance and longitude are irregular due to a lack of synchronization with the anomalistic month (period of perigee), but groupings of 3 tritos cycles (≈ 33 years minus 3 months) come close (≈ 434.044 anomalistic months), so eclipses are similar in these groupings.
Series members between 1801 and 2200 :
| 1807 May 21 (Saros 108) | 1807 May 21 (Saros 108) | 1818 Apr 21 (Saros 109) | 1818 Apr 21 (Saros 109) | 1829 Mar 20 (Saros 110) | 1829 Mar 20 (Saros 110) | 1840 Feb 17 (Saros 111) | 1840 Feb 17 (Saros 111) | 1851 Jan 17 (Saros 112) | 1851 Jan 17 (Saros 112) |
| 1861 Dec 17 (Saros 113) | 1861 Dec 17 (Saros 113) | 1872 Nov 15 (Saros 114) | 1872 Nov 15 (Saros 114) | 1883 Oct 16 (Saros 115) | 1883 Oct 16 (Saros 115) | 1894 Sep 15 (Saros 116) | 1894 Sep 15 (Saros 116) | 1905 Aug 15 (Saros 117) | 1905 Aug 15 (Saros 117) |
| 1916 Jul 15 (Saros 118) | 1916 Jul 15 (Saros 118) | 1927 Jun 15 (Saros 119) | 1927 Jun 15 (Saros 119) | 1938 May 14 (Saros 120) | 1938 May 14 (Saros 120) | 1949 Apr 13 (Saros 121) | 1949 Apr 13 (Saros 121) | 1960 Mar 13 (Saros 122) | 1960 Mar 13 (Saros 122) |
| 1971 Feb 10 (Saros 123) | 1971 Feb 10 (Saros 123) | 1982 Jan 09 (Saros 124) | 1982 Jan 09 (Saros 124) | 1992 Dec 09 (Saros 125) | 1992 Dec 09 (Saros 125) | 2003 Nov 09 (Saros 126) | 2003 Nov 09 (Saros 126) | 2014 Oct 08 (Saros 127) | 2014 Oct 08 (Saros 127) |
| 2025 Sep 07 (Saros 128) | 2025 Sep 07 (Saros 128) | 2036 Aug 07 (Saros 129) | 2036 Aug 07 (Saros 129) | 2047 Jul 07 (Saros 130) | 2047 Jul 07 (Saros 130) | 2058 Jun 06 (Saros 131) | 2058 Jun 06 (Saros 131) | 2069 May 06 (Saros 132) | 2069 May 06 (Saros 132) |
| 2080 Apr 04 (Saros 133) | 2080 Apr 04 (Saros 133) | 2091 Mar 05 (Saros 134) | 2091 Mar 05 (Saros 134) | 2102 Feb 03 (Saros 135) | 2102 Feb 03 (Saros 135) | 2113 Jan 02 (Saros 136) | 2113 Jan 02 (Saros 136) | 2123 Dec 03 (Saros 137) | 2123 Dec 03 (Saros 137) |
| 2134 Nov 02 (Saros 138) | 2134 Nov 02 (Saros 138) | 2145 Sep 30 (Saros 139) | 2145 Sep 30 (Saros 139) | 2156 Aug 30 (Saros 140) | 2156 Aug 30 (Saros 140) | 2167 Aug 01 (Saros 141) | 2167 Aug 01 (Saros 141) | 2178 Jun 30 (Saros 142) | 2178 Jun 30 (Saros 142) |
| 2189 May 29 (Saros 143) | 2189 May 29 (Saros 143) | 2200 Apr 30 (Saros 144) | 2200 Apr 30 (Saros 144) |

### Inex series

This eclipse is a part of the long period inex cycle, repeating at alternating nodes, every 358 synodic months (≈ 10,571.95 days, or 29 years minus 20 days). Their appearance and longitude are irregular due to a lack of synchronization with the anomalistic month (period of perigee). However, groupings of 3 inex cycles (≈ 87 years minus 2 months) comes close (≈ 1,151.02 anomalistic months), so eclipses are similar in these groupings.
Series members between 1801 and 2200 :
| 1819 Apr 10 (Saros 119) | 1819 Apr 10 (Saros 119) | 1848 Mar 19 (Saros 120) | 1848 Mar 19 (Saros 120) | 1877 Feb 27 (Saros 121) | 1877 Feb 27 (Saros 121) |
| 1906 Feb 09 (Saros 122) | 1906 Feb 09 (Saros 122) | 1935 Jan 19 (Saros 123) | 1935 Jan 19 (Saros 123) | 1963 Dec 30 (Saros 124) | 1963 Dec 30 (Saros 124) |
| 1992 Dec 09 (Saros 125) | 1992 Dec 09 (Saros 125) | 2021 Nov 19 (Saros 126) | 2021 Nov 19 (Saros 126) | 2050 Oct 30 (Saros 127) | 2050 Oct 30 (Saros 127) |
| 2079 Oct 10 (Saros 128) | 2079 Oct 10 (Saros 128) | 2108 Sep 20 (Saros 129) | 2108 Sep 20 (Saros 129) | 2137 Aug 30 (Saros 130) | 2137 Aug 30 (Saros 130) |
| 2166 Aug 11 (Saros 131) | 2166 Aug 11 (Saros 131) | 2195 Jul 22 (Saros 132) | 2195 Jul 22 (Saros 132) |

### Half-Saros cycle

A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros). This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 132.
| December 4, 1983 | December 14, 2001 |