| Type: | total |
| Date: | July 16, 2000 |
| Gamma: | 0.0302 |
| Magnitude: | 1.7684 |
| Saros Ser: | 129 |
| Saros No: | 37 of 71 |
| Totality: | 106 minutes, 25 seconds |
| Partiality: | 236 minutes, 2 seconds |
| Penumbral: | 374 minutes, 31 seconds |
| P1: | 10:48:22 |
| U1: | 11:57:35 |
| U2: | 13:02:23 |
| Greatest: | 13:55:35 |
| U3: | 14:48:47 |
| U4: | 15:53:55 |
| P4: | 17:02:46 |
| Previous: | January 2000 |
| Next: | January 2001 |
A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Sunday, July 16, 2000,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 1.7684. 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 1.1 days after apogee (on July 15, 2000, at 11:30 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.[2]
This was a relatively rare central lunar eclipse, where the Moon crossed the center of the Earth's shadow. Totality lasted for 106 minutes and 25 seconds, the longest duration since 13 August 1859 (106 minutes and 28 seconds) and 3 May 459 (106 minutes and 32 seconds), and totality of this length won't occur again until 19 August 4753 (106 minutes and 35 seconds). This was the last and longest total lunar eclipse of the 20th century as well as the second longest and last of the second millennium. It was also the eighth longest total lunar eclipse on EclipseWise's Six Millennium Catalog of Lunar Eclipses which covers the years 3000 BCE to 3000 AD. The longest total lunar eclipse between the years 4000 BCE and 6000 CE took place on 31 May 318. Totality lasted 106 minutes and 36 seconds which is only 11 seconds longer than this one.[3]
The eclipse was completely visible over Australia, Antarctica, and much of the Pacific Ocean, seen rising over Asia and eastern Africa and setting over western North and South America.[4]
Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[5]
| Penumbral Magnitude | 2.83749 | |
| Umbral Magnitude | 1.76839 | |
| Gamma | 0.03015 | |
| Sun Right Ascension | 07h44m54.7s | |
| Sun Declination | +21°15'02.4" | |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 15'44.2" | |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.7" | |
| Moon Right Ascension | 19h44m54.2s | |
| Moon Declination | -21°13'24.9" | |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 14'43.2" | |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 0°54'01.2" | |
| ΔT | 64.0 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. The first and last eclipse in this sequence is separated by one synodic month.
It last occurred on 27 July 2018, and will next occur on 7 August 2036.
This is the 37th member of Lunar Saros 129. The previous event was the July 2018 lunar eclipse. The next event is the August 2036 lunar eclipse. Lunar Saros 129 contains 11 total lunar eclipses between 1910 and 2090. Solar Saros 136 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).[6] This lunar eclipse is related to two total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 136.