June 2011 lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse took place on 15 June 2011. It was the first of two such eclipses in 2011. The second occurred on 10 December 2011. While the visual effect of a total eclipse is variable, the Moon may have been stained a deep orange or red colour at maximum eclipse.

This was a relatively rare central lunar eclipse, in which the center point of Earth's shadow passes across the Moon. The last time a lunar eclipse was closer to the center of the Earth's shadow was on 16 July 2000. The next central total lunar eclipse was on 27 July 2018 over South America, western Africa, and Europe, and setting over eastern Asia.

Visibility and viewing
In western Asia, Australia, and the Philippines, the lunar eclipse was visible just before sunrise. It was very visible in the clear and cloudless night sky throughout eastern and southeast Asia. Africa, far eastern Russia and Europe witnessed the whole event even in the late stages (as in partial lunar eclipse). The Americas (including North and northwestern South America) missed the eclipse completely (except in most areas) because it occurred at moonset.

Eclipses of 2011

 * A partial solar eclipse on 4 January.
 * A partial solar eclipse on 1 June.
 * A total lunar eclipse on 15 June.
 * A partial solar eclipse on 1 July.
 * A partial solar eclipse on 25 November.
 * A total lunar eclipse on 10 December.

It was preceded by the partial solar eclipse of January 4, 2011, and the partial solar eclipse of 1 June 2011.

Semester series
This eclipse is the center of nine lunar eclipses in a short-lived series. Each eclipse in the series repeats after one semester (6 lunations or 177 days) occurring at alternating nodes.

Tzolkinex

 * Preceded: Lunar eclipse of May 4, 2004


 * Followed: Lunar eclipse of July 27, 2018

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 137.