| Global Event: | Total Lunar Eclipse |
|---|---|
| Local Type: | Total Lunar Eclipse in Helena, Montana |
| Began: | Wed, May 26, 2021 at 2:47 am |
| Maximum: | Wed, May 26, 2021 at 5:18 am 1.009 Magnitude |
| Ended: | Wed, May 26, 2021 at 5:51 am |
| Duration: | 3 hours, 3 minutes | All times shown on this page are local time. |
May 26, 2021 — Total Lunar Eclipse — Helena
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The animation shows what the eclipse approximately looked like in Helena. Stages and times of the eclipse are outlined below. All times were local time (MDT) for Helena.
| Time | Phase | Event | Direction | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2:47 am Wed, May 26 | Penumbral Eclipse begins The Earth's penumbra start touching the Moon's face. |  202° | 19.3° | |
| 3:45 am Wed, May 26 | Partial Eclipse begins Partial moon eclipse starts - moon is getting red. | 214° | 14.6° | |
| 5:11 am Wed, May 26 | Total Eclipse begins Total moon eclipse starts - completely red moon. Moon close to horizon, so make sure you have free sight to Southwest. | 231° | 4.7° | |
| 5:18 am Wed, May 26 | Maximum Eclipse Moon is closest to the center of the shadow. Moon close to horizon, so make sure you have free sight to Southwest. | 232° | 3.8° | |
| 5:25 am Wed, May 26 | Total Eclipse ends Total moon eclipse ends. Moon close to horizon, so make sure you have free sight to Southwest. | 234° | 2.9° | |
| 5:51 am Wed, May 26 | Setting | Moonset Setting | 238° | -0.2° |
| 6:52 am Wed, May 26 | Not directly visible | Partial Eclipse ends Below horizon | 248° | -10.0° |
| 7:49 am Wed, May 26 | Not directly visible | Penumbral Eclipse ends Below horizon | 258° | -19.1° |
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 was fully visible in Helena. The total lunar eclipse is sometimes called a blood moon, as the Moon turns red.
Cloud Coverage (May 26)
In the past, this day was cloudy 67% 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 Helena
| Eclipse Visibility From Helena | Visibility Worldwide | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17, 2024 Partial Lunar Eclipse | Partial Lunar Eclipse |  | |
| Mar 13–14, 2025 Total Lunar Eclipse | Total Lunar Eclipse |  | |
| Mar 3, 2026 Total Lunar Eclipse | Total Lunar Eclipse |  | |
| Aug 27–28, 2026 Partial Lunar Eclipse | Partial Lunar Eclipse |  | |
| Feb 20, 2027 Penumbral Lunar Eclipse | Penumbral Lunar Eclipse |  | Note: Click on the date link for details in Helena, or the path map image for global details. |