May 1985 lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse took place on May 4, 1985, the first of two total lunar eclipses in 1985, the second being on October 28, 1985.[1]

Total Lunar Eclipse
May 4, 1985
(No photo)

The moon passes west to east (right to left) across the Earth's umbral shadow, shown in hourly intervals.
Series121 (54 of 84)
Duration (hr:mn:sc)
Totality
Partial
Penumbral
Contacts
P1UTC
U1
U2
Greatest
U3
U4
P4

This lunar eclipse is first of a tetrad, four total lunar eclipses in series. The last series was in 1967 and 1968, starting with an April 1967 lunar eclipse, while the next was in 2003 and 2004, starting with a May 2003 lunar eclipse.

Visibility

It is seen rising over the whole of Africa, Middle East, Europe and Asia. The eclipse was sighted over the Philippines at night. The second also followed on October 28, 1985.

Eclipses of 1985

Lunar year series

Metonic series

This eclipse is the second of four Metonic cycle lunar eclipses on the same date, May 4–5, each separated by 19 years:

The metonic cycle repeats nearly exactly every 19 years and represents a Saros cycle plus one lunar year. Because it occurs on the same calendar date, the earth's shadow will in nearly the same location relative to the background stars.

Saros series

It is a member of Saros cycle 121.

Half-Saros cycle

A lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).[2] This lunar eclipse is related to two annular solar eclipses of Solar Saros 128.

April 29, 1976 May 10, 1994

See also

Notes
  1. Hermit Eclipse: Saros cycle 121
  2. Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros


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