Here is a comprehensive summary of the total lunar eclipse of December 30, 1982:

  • On December 30, 1982, a remarkable total lunar eclipse occurred, turning the Moon a dark, blood-red color as it passed completely through Earth's umbral shadow.
  • This event was exceptionally rare because it combined three lunar phenomena: it was a supermoon (occurring just 10.5 hours before perigee, making the Moon appear larger), a blue moon (the second full moon of December in the Eastern Hemisphere), and a total eclipse, creating a "super blue blood moon"—a combination that would not recur until January 31, 2018.
  • The eclipse was notably abnormally dark, a fact observed by astronomers, and was visible in its entirety across the central Pacific Ocean, northern and northeastern Asia, and western/central North America, with partial phases seen rising over Europe and setting over eastern South America.
  • It belongs to Lunar Saros 134, a series that began in 1550 and will continue with total eclipses until 2325, and it was part of a busy 1982 eclipse season that included seven total or partial solar and lunar eclipses.