October 1968 lunar eclipse

{{Short description|Total lunar eclipse October 6, 1968}}

{{Infobox lunar eclipse

| type = total

| image = Lunar eclipse chart close-1968Oct06.png

| caption = The Moon's hourly motion shown right to left

| date = October 6, 1968

| gamma = 0.3605

| magnitude = 1.1691

| saros_ser = 136

| saros_no = 17 of 72

| totality = 62 minutes, 58 seconds

| partiality = 213 minutes, 56 seconds

| penumbral = 352 minutes, 2 seconds

| p1 = 8:45:58

| u1 = 9:54:56

| u2 = 11:10:26

| greatest = 11:41:56

| u3 = 12:13:24

| u4 = 13:28:53

| p4 = 14:38:00

| previous = April 1968

| next = April 1969

}}

A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Sunday, October 6, 1968,{{cite web|title=October 5–6, 1968 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/1968-october-6|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=2 January 2025}} with an umbral magnitude of 1.1691. 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 5.3 days before apogee (on October 11, 1968, at 18:05 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.{{cite web|title=Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/distance.html?year=1968&n=136|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=2 January 2025}}

This lunar eclipse was the last of a tetrad, with four total lunar eclipses in series, the others being on April 24, 1967; October 18, 1967; and April 13, 1968.