A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon's descending node of orbit on Saturday, May 4, 1985, with an umbral magnitude of 1.2369. 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 only about 13.5 hours after perigee (on May 4, 1985, at 6:20 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was larger.
This lunar eclipse was the first of a tetrad, with four total lunar eclipses in series, the others being on October 28, 1985; April 24, 1986; and October 17, 1986.
Visibility The eclipse was completely visible over central and east Africa, eastern Europe, the western half of Asia, western Australia, and Antarctica, seen rising over much of South America, west Africa, and western Europe and setting over east and northeast Asia and much of Australia.
Eclipse details Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
+May 4, 1985 Lunar Eclipse Parameters Parameter Value Penumbral Magnitude 2.18702 Umbral Magnitude 1.23687 Gamma 0.35197 Sun Right Ascension 02h47m17.2s Sun Declination +16°07'37.7" Sun Semi-Diameter 15'51.5" Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 08.7" Moon Right Ascension 14h47m52.0s Moon Declination -15°47'45.9" Moon Semi-Diameter 16'41.4" Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax 1°01'15.3" ΔT 54.5 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 May 1985 May 4Descending node (full moon) May 19Ascending node (new moon) Total lunar eclipseLunar Saros 121 Partial solar eclipseSolar Saros 147
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 July 17, 1981 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of February 20, 1989
Tzolkinex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of March 24, 1978 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 15, 1992
Half-Saros Preceded by: Solar eclipse of April 29, 1976 Followed by: Solar eclipse of May 10, 1994
Tritos Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of June 4, 1974 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 4, 1996
Lunar Saros 121 Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of April 24, 1967 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of May 16, 2003
Inex Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of May 24, 1956 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of April 15, 2014
Triad Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 3, 1898 Followed by: Lunar eclipse of March 4, 2072
Lunar eclipses of 1984–1987
Metonic series
Saros 121
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 annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 128. April 29, 1976May 10, 1994
See also List of lunar eclipses List of 20th-century lunar eclipses
Notes
External links