| Global Event: | Total Lunar Eclipse |
|---|---|
| Local Type: | Total Lunar Eclipse in Washington DC, District of Columbia |
| Begins: | Thu, Dec 20, 2029 at 4:43 pm |
| Maximum: | Thu, Dec 20, 2029 at 5:42 pm 1.117 Magnitude |
| Ends: | Thu, Dec 20, 2029 at 8:41 pm |
| Duration: | 3 hours, 57 minutes | All times shown on this page are local time. |
December 20, 2029 — Total Lunar Eclipse — Washington DC
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The animation shows what the eclipse approximately looks like in Washington DC. Stages and times of the eclipse are outlined below. All times are local time (EST) for Washington DC.
| Time | Phase | Event | Direction | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:42 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Not directly visible | Penumbral Eclipse begins Below horizon |  38° | -18.0° |
| 3:55 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Not directly visible | Partial Eclipse begins Below horizon | 52° | -8.3° |
| 4:43 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Rising | Moonrise Rising, but the combination of a very low moon and the total eclipse phase will make the moon so dim that it will be extremely difficult to view until moon gets higher in the sky or the total phase ends. | 59° | -0.2° |
| 5:15 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Total Eclipse begins Total moon eclipse starts - completely red moon. Moon close to horizon, so make sure you have free sight to East-northeast. | 64° | 4.6° | |
| 5:42 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Maximum Eclipse Moon is closest to the center of the shadow. Moon close to horizon, so make sure you have free sight to East-northeast. | 68° | 9.1° | |
| 6:08 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Total Eclipse ends Total moon eclipse ends. | 71° | 13.8° | |
| 7:28 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Partial Eclipse ends Partial moon eclipse ends. | 82° | 28.4° | |
| 8:41 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Penumbral Eclipse ends The Earth's penumbra ends. | 93° | 42.1° |
How to use altitude & direction to find in the sky
The curvature of the shadow's path and the apparent rotation of the Moon's disk is due to the Earth's rotation.
This total lunar eclipse is fully visible in Washington DC. The total lunar eclipse is sometimes called a blood moon, as the Moon turns red.
Cloud Coverage (Dec 20)
In the past, this day was cloudy 65% of the time (since 2000).
Lunar Eclipses
- When Is the Next Lunar Eclipse?
- Total Lunar Eclipse
- Why Does the Moon Turn Red?
- Partial Lunar Eclipse
- Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
- Can I See a Lunar Eclipse?
- Blood Moon - Total Lunar Eclipse
- Eclipse Seasons
- What Is a Tetrad?
- Magnitude of Eclipses
- Accuracy of Our Eclipse Calculations
- Why Two Dates for a Lunar Eclipse?
Eclipses and Transits Visible in Washington DC
| Eclipse Visibility From Washington DC | Visibility Worldwide | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17–18, 2024 Partial Lunar Eclipse | Partial Lunar Eclipse |  | |
| Mar 13–14, 2025 Total Lunar Eclipse | Total Lunar Eclipse |  | |
| Mar 29, 2025 Partial Solar Eclipse | Partial Solar Eclipse |  | |
| Mar 3, 2026 Total Lunar Eclipse | Total Lunar Eclipse |  | |
| Aug 12, 2026 Partial Solar Eclipse | Total Solar Eclipse |  | Note: Click on the date link for details in Washington DC, or the path map image for global details. |
Next annular eclipse visible in Washington DC