A total solar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Tuesday, November 12, 1985, with a magnitude of 1.0388. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Occurring about 2 hours after perigee (on November 12, 1985, at 12:30 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger. Perigee did occur during the early portion of the eclipse.
Totality was visible only near Antarctica. A partial eclipse was visible for parts of southern South America and Antarctica.
Eclipse details Shown below are two tables displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. The first table outlines times at which the Moon's penumbra or umbra attains the specific parameter, and the second table describes various other parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+November 12, 1985 Solar Eclipse Times Event Time (UTC) First Penumbral External Contact 1985 November 12 at 12:09:38.7 UTC First Umbral External Contact 1985 November 12 at 13:47:16.4 UTC First Central Line 1985 November 12 at 13:51:51.3 UTC First Umbral Internal Contact 1985 November 12 at 13:57:51.7 UTC Greatest Duration 1985 November 12 at 14:11:16.8 UTC Greatest Eclipse 1985 November 12 at 14:11:26.9 UTC Ecliptic Conjunction 1985 November 12 at 14:21:15.4 UTC Equatorial Conjunction 1985 November 12 at 14:50:17.6 UTC Last Umbral Internal Contact 1985 November 12 at 14:24:37.2 UTC Last Central Line 1985 November 12 at 14:30:37.7 UTC Last Umbral External Contact 1985 November 12 at 14:35:12.6 UTC Last Penumbral External Contact 1985 November 12 at 16:12:59.3 UTC
+November 12, 1985 Solar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Eclipse Magnitude 1.03880 Eclipse Obscuration 1.07910 Gamma −0.97948 Sun Right Ascension 15h10m46.7s Sun Declination -17°46'51.7" Sun Semi-Diameter 16'09.6" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.9" Moon Right Ascension 15h09m15.4s Moon Declination -18°42'51.3" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'44.5" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°01'26.6" 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: Solar eclipse of January 25, 1982 Followed by: Solar eclipse of August 31, 1989
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Solar eclipse of October 2, 1978 Followed by: Solar eclipse of December 24, 1992
Half-Saros Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 6, 1976 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of November 18, 1994
Tritos Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 13, 1974 Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 12, 1996
Solar Saros 152 Preceded by: Solar eclipse of November 2, 1967 Followed by: Solar eclipse of November 23, 2003
Inex Preceded by: Solar eclipse of December 2, 1956 Followed by: Solar eclipse of October 23, 2014
Triad Preceded by: Solar eclipse of January 11, 1899 Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 12, 2072
Solar eclipses of 1982–1985
Saros 152
Metonic series
Tritos series
Inex series
Notes
References