A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Monday, October 28, 1985, with an umbral magnitude of 1.0736. 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 1.2 days before apogee (on October 29, 1985, at 21:50 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.
This lunar eclipse was the second of a tetrad, with four total lunar eclipses in series, the others being on May 4, 1985; April 24, 1986; and October 17, 1986.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over northern Europe, Asia, and western Australia, seen rising over Africa and much of Europe and setting over eastern Australia, northwestern North America, and the central Pacific Ocean.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+October 28, 1985 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.16733 Umbral Magnitude 1.07357 Gamma −0.40218 Sun Right Ascension 14h11m49.8s Sun Declination -13°16'24.9" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'06.1" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 02h12m27.9s Moon Declination +12°56'45.9" Moon Semi-Diameter 14'43.3" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 0°54'01.6" ΔT 54.8 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 October–November 1985 October 28Ascending node (full moon) November 12Descending node (new moon) Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 126 Total solar eclipseSolar Saros 152
Related eclipses Eclipses in 1985 A total lunar eclipse on May 4. A partial solar eclipse on May 19. A total lunar eclipse on October 28. A total solar eclipse on November 12.
Metonic Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of January 9, 1982 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 17, 1989
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 16, 1978 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of December 9, 1992
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of October 23, 1976 Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 3, 1994
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 29, 1974 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 27, 1996
Lunar Saros 126 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 18, 1967 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 9, 2003
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 18, 1956 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 8, 2014
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of December 27, 1898 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 28, 2072
Lunar eclipses of 1984–1987
Metonic series
Saros 126
Tritos series
Inex series
Half-Saros cycle A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros This lunar eclipse is related to two total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 133. October 23, 1976November 3, 1994
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links