Why this eclipse lasts so long
Totality can last anything from a few minutes to about 1¾ hours. The length depends on how close the Moon passes to the centre of Earth’s shadow. On 26 June 2029 it passes very close to the centre, so it needs a long time to cross the dark core from side to side. Our calculation gives about 102 minutes of totality, close to the 27 July 2018 eclipse, the longest of the century so far at 103 minutes.
A deep, central eclipse also tends to be darker. The middle of the umbra receives less of the reddened light bent through Earth’s atmosphere, so the Moon may look a deep red or even brown at mid-totality.
Where to see the eclipse of 26 June 2029
The whole of totality is visible from South America and from most of North America, on the evening of 25 June local time. In New York and Mexico City it happens before midnight, and in São Paulo and Buenos Aires around midnight.
Spain, Portugal, West Africa and southern Africa see totality before dawn on 26 June, with the Moon setting in the west. Further north and east in Europe, including London, Paris and Berlin, the Moon sets during the eclipse, so only part of it is visible.
How to watch
With more than an hour and a half of totality there is time to do everything: watch with the naked eye, look through binoculars, and try a few photographs. A red Moon is faint, so use a tripod and exposures of a second or more. From a dark site, the Milky Way and the constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius appear around the eclipsed Moon.
Eclipse times
| Phase | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|
| Penumbral eclipse begins | 00:34 |
| Partial eclipse begins | 01:32 |
| Totality begins | 02:31 |
| Greatest eclipse | 03:22 |
| Totality ends | 04:13 |
| Partial eclipse ends | 05:12 |
| Penumbral eclipse ends | 06:10 |
Universal Time. Add your own time zone offset, or use the city table below.
Local times in major cities
| City | Totality | Peak, local | Moon height |
|---|---|---|---|
| São PauloBrazil | Whole23:31–01:13 | 00:2226 Jun | 87° |
| Buenos AiresArgentina | Whole23:31–01:13 | 00:2226 Jun | 76° |
| Mexico CityMexico | Whole20:31–22:13 | 21:2225 Jun | 25° |
| New YorkUnited States | Whole22:31–00:13 | 23:2225 Jun | 21° |
| JohannesburgSouth Africa | Whole04:31–06:13 | 05:2226 Jun | 20° |
| ChicagoUnited States | Whole21:31–23:13 | 22:2225 Jun | 15° |
| MadridSpain | Whole04:31–06:13 | 05:2226 Jun | 12° |
| LondonUnited Kingdom | Part03:31–05:13 | 04:2226 Jun | 3° |
| ParisFrance | Part04:31–06:13 | 05:2226 Jun | 3° |
| Los AngelesUnited States | Part19:31–21:13 | 20:2225 Jun | 3° |
| BerlinGermany | Part04:31–06:13 | 05:2226 Jun | rising or setting |
| CairoEgypt | Part05:31–07:13 | 06:2226 Jun | rising or setting |
| AucklandNew Zealand | None | – | below horizon |
| DubaiUnited Arab Emirates | None | – | below horizon |
| HonoluluUnited States | None | – | below horizon |
| SydneyAustralia | None | – | below horizon |
| DelhiIndia | None | – | below horizon |
| BeijingChina | None | – | below horizon |
| TokyoJapan | None | – | below horizon |
“Whole” means the Moon stays above the horizon for the entire totality; “Part” means it rises or sets during it.
Good questions
- How long is the 26 June 2029 total lunar eclipse?
- Totality lasts about 102 minutes, from 02:31 to 04:13 UTC. The whole eclipse, including the partial phases, takes about 220 minutes.
- Is it visible in the UK?
- Only partly. In the UK the Moon sets in the early morning of 26 June during the eclipse, so the end is lost below the horizon.
- What time is it in New York?
- The peak is at 23:22 local time on the evening of 25 June 2029.
Sources
- NASA Science, Lunar eclipses
- EclipseWise (Fred Espenak), Lunar eclipses 2021–2030
- NASA eclipse website, Visual appearance of lunar eclipses