A total lunar eclipse occurred at the MoonâÂÂs 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.
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.
Shown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.
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.
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 total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 133.