Will I see it from where I am?
The first block answers for your place. For each coming eclipse it gives the time of the maximum on your clock and the height of the Moon above your horizon at that moment. Above 10°, the Moon clears most buildings and trees. Between 0° and 10°, you need an open view. Below the horizon, the eclipse happens during your daytime and you will not see it.
The site guesses a city from your time zone. Choose another city, or share your position, for an exact answer.
The phases of a lunar eclipse
A lunar eclipse unfolds slowly and can last more than five hours from start to finish:
- The penumbra touches the Moon. Nothing is visible yet.
- The partial phase begins. A dark, curved bite appears on one edge: the Earth’s shadow, whose round outline was one of the first proofs that the Earth is a sphere.
- Totality begins. The whole Moon is inside the shadow and takes a colour between orange and dark brown.
- Maximum. The Moon is at its deepest in the shadow.
- Totality ends, then the partial phase and the penumbra, in reverse order.
The timetable gives each step for every eclipse until 2030, in your time zone. A partial eclipse skips steps 3 to 5; a penumbral eclipse has only the first and the last.
How dark will it get?
The colour of a total eclipse changes from one to the next. After a large volcanic eruption, dust in the upper atmosphere can make the Moon almost disappear. In a clean atmosphere it stays bright copper. The percentage given for each eclipse is the part of the Moon’s disc covered by the dark shadow at maximum: at 100% the eclipse is total.
Photographing the eclipse
A phone on a tripod is enough for the partial phases. During totality the Moon is about ten thousand times dimmer than a full moon: use a tripod, a long exposure of one to four seconds and a telephoto lens if you have one. The best pictures often include the landscape, when the Moon is low.
Questions and answers
When is the next total lunar eclipse?
On the night of 31 December 2028 to 1 January 2029. Totality lasts 72 minutes and is visible from Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Before that, the eclipses of 2027 are penumbral and those of 2028 are partial.
Is it safe to look at a lunar eclipse?
Yes, completely. You are looking at the Moon, which only reflects sunlight, and during an eclipse it is dimmer than usual. No filter is needed, with bare eyes or through binoculars or a telescope.
Why does the Moon turn red?
The Earth blocks direct sunlight, but its atmosphere bends a little light into the shadow. The air scatters the blue and lets the red through, as it does at sunset. The eclipsed Moon is lit by every sunrise and sunset on Earth at once.
Can I see a penumbral eclipse?
Barely. The Moon only enters the pale outer shadow of the Earth. At best, around the maximum, one edge of the disc looks slightly grey. Most people notice nothing.
From where is a lunar eclipse visible?
From everywhere the Moon is above the horizon during the eclipse, which is a little more than half of the Earth. Unlike a solar eclipse, everyone sees the same phases at the same instant. The panel at the top of this page tells you how high the Moon is at maximum where you are.
Updated November 11, 2026