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How to Use: Lunar Eclipse Page

The Lunar Eclipse Preview provides start and end times, animations, and a world map for a lunar eclipse of your choice.

Eclipse Animation

How do I use the animation?

The animation at the top indicates what the eclipse looks like on the night side of Earth. The date and time shown in the top-right corner of the animation is Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

  • Click on the play button to start the animation and use the progress bar to fast forward or rewind.
  • To show or hide the perimeter of the Earth's shadows, click on the symbol showing two circles on the right of the progress bar.
  • To see the animation in full-screen mode, click the rectangle in the bottom-right corner of the animation.
  • If a lunar eclipse is in progress while you view the page, LIVE at the bottom of the animation turns red and the animation shows the current stage of the eclipse in real-time.

What is the link "Is this Eclipse visible in...?"?

Follow the link to discover if this eclipse can be seen where you are, an animation showing what the eclipse looks like, if visible, as well as local start and end times, and more.

Where to See the Eclipse?

We offer several interactive eclipse maps and eclipse path animations to show where the lunar eclipse is visible and when it will start and end in each location.

What is the “Detailed eclipse path map?”

The interactive Eclipse Map shows the path of the eclipse in great detail. It allows you to select any location to see when the eclipse starts and ends there, and how it looks. Questions about the Eclipse Map?

Eclipse Map and Animation

What does the “Eclipse Map and Animation” show?

The world map below the animation shows where the lunar eclipse is visible. The different shadings indicate various degrees of visibility. For an explanation of the colors, please see the legend below the map.

To see an animated version of the world map, click on Animation above it. Here, the darkest shading indicates night, which is also the area where the eclipse is visible.

When the Eclipse Happens Worldwide — Timeline

What does the timetable show?

The table at the bottom provides global start and end times for the eclipse and its stages. The time is displayed in both Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the local time in your home location.

Please note that this table does not take into account if the eclipse is visible in your location.

FAQ: Troubleshooting

The lunar eclipse is supposed to have started but I don't see any shadow on the Moon. Is the start time wrong?

If you are looking at a penumbral lunar eclipse, please note that these only involve the Earth's penumbra, which is a much lighter shadow than the umbra, so it may be difficult to spot. That's why penumbral lunar eclipses are sometimes difficult to distinguish from a normal Full Moon.

If the eclipse you are witnessing is a total or partial lunar eclipse, note that these kinds of eclipses always begin with a penumbral eclipse, which is hard to spot. Just wait a little longer until the Earth's umbra falls on the Moon. See the Eclipse City Page for your location to find the local time for when that will happen.

You said there would be a lunar eclipse, but all I see is a normal Full Moon!

If the eclipse you are witnessing is a penumbral lunar eclipse, please note that this type of eclipse only involves the Earth's penumbra, the light outer portion of its shadow. That's why a penumbral lunar eclipse is sometimes difficult to distinguish from a normal Full Moon.

If it's a total or partial lunar eclipse, note that these kinds of eclipses always begin with a penumbral eclipse, which is hard to spot. Just wait a little longer until the Earth's umbra falls on the Moon. See the Eclipse City Page for your location to find out when that will occur.

The eclipse is supposed to start, but the Moon isn't visible! What's wrong?

The Lunar Eclipse Preview lists all lunar eclipses, even the ones not visible from your location. This means that the eclipse, or perhaps only the beginning of the eclipse, may not be visible in your location. To check, please click on Is this eclipse visible in...? at the top of the page. Alternatively, enter any location into the Find Eclipses in Your City field on the right side.

Why can't I see live footage of the eclipse?

Once a lunar eclipse is underway, the animation switches to a real-time representation of what it looks like on the night side of Earth, assuming the skies are clear. In that case, both LIVE at the bottom of the animation and the dot next to it turn red to indicate real-time mode.

The animation does not show live imagery but tracks the progress of the eclipse in real-time. However, we offer a live stream, including footage, commentary, and background information, for some eclipses in our LIVE Event Center.

The eclipse times have the wrong format. How do I change between the 24-hour and AM/PM clock?

We support both 24-hour and 12-hour (am/pm) clock formats. To change the format, please go to My Units and make a selection in the Time Format drop-down.

Please note that, following the internationally accepted convention, UTC times are always displayed using the 24-hour format.

Why isn't my town included?

Our database of locations includes thousands of cities worldwide, and we now offer an additional 6 million places via the GeoNames database. If you still don't find your town, please let us know, and we will consider adding it.

FAQ: General Info & Instructions

How do I find local information about this eclipse?

Click on Is this eclipse visible in...? at the top of the page. Alternatively, enter any location into the Find Eclipses in Your City field on the right side.

How do I change my home location?

Go to My Location, enter a location, and click Save.

What does magnitude mean?

You will find an explanation of eclipse magnitudes here.

What does maximum eclipse mean?

It's the moment when the Moon is closest to the center of the Earth's shadow, and the eclipse reaches its maximum magnitude.

How does your algorithm work? Can you help me program my own?

We are a small team with very extensive websites to manage, so, unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to share detailed information about our algorithms or provide programming help.

Where can I find more information about the site and its services?

The General FAQ Page answers your questions about timeanddate.com, our services, site-wide settings, customization options, advertising opportunities, and copyright policies.

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