Total lunar eclipse — Americas
A total lunar eclipse for the whole of the Americas — the red Moon hangs in New York's southern sky late on June 25.
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The moment of Total lunar eclipse — Americas: https://nowsky.org/e/lunar-eclipse-2029 — opens at the right place and time, replayable, no login.
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The story
The total lunar eclipse of 26 June 2029 is the longest of the decade — 1 hour 42 minutes of totality. The Moon passes almost through the centre of Earth's umbra, and nothing longer comes until the 2040s. Maximum is at 03:22 UT, which is 11:22 p.m. on 25 June in New York.
A central passage makes for an unusually dark, deep-red Moon. The whole disk sits in black-red for a long time, the sky darkens enough for the summer Milky Way to appear alongside it. New York sees it high in the south, São Paulo and Buenos Aires almost overhead, western Europe low in the pre-dawn west.
The Americas, Europe and West Africa are the places to be; Korea and Japan miss it entirely because the Moon has already set. A lunar eclipse is an event shared by half the planet at once — which hemisphere you live in decides your ticket.
The sky replay recreates that New York night from an hour before maximum. Change the location to Rio de Janeiro or Lisbon, or enter any latitude and longitude, to see the altitude and timing from any point; the orbit view shows the Moon crossing the middle of Earth's shadow cone from space.
Why it matters
The length of totality is set by where the Moon crosses the shadow. A central passage takes it through the thickest part of the umbra and keeps it immersed for a long time; a grazing passage is over in minutes. 1 hour 42 minutes is close to the theoretical maximum of about 1 hour 47.
A long totality gives a long cooling curve for the lunar surface. Thermal cameras on lunar orbiters track the temperature drop through the eclipse to refine maps of surface grain size, while ground observers record the brightness profile inside the shadow as a measure of Earth's atmospheric clarity at the time.
2029 is also the year the asteroid Apophis passes within 32,000 km of Earth on 13 April. With this long eclipse two months later, the first half of 2029 is crowded with sky events.
How to watch
Totality 01:31–03:13 UT (maximum 03:22 UT). New York 21:31–23:13 EDT on 25 June, about 30° high in the south; São Paulo 22:31–00:13; Lisbon 02:31–04:13 low in the west; London catches only the first part before moonset. Not visible from Korea, Japan or eastern Australia.
A lunar eclipse is safe for the naked eye, and a dark one like this shows layers in binoculars — blacker toward the centre of the shadow, brighter copper toward its edge. Photographs need two to six seconds during totality, and the long duration leaves time to try several compositions.
The sky replay tracks the Moon over New York and slows as it enters the shadow; enter any latitude and longitude for the altitude and timing at a point off the map.
See this for yourself — open that sky at that moment · replay the moment in the orbit view
Background
The eclipse belongs to Saros 130. Its predecessor on 15 June 2011 (100 minutes of totality over Africa and Asia) and its successor on 7 July 2047 bracket a stretch in which the series passes near the shadow's centre and produces unusually long eclipses.
A second total lunar eclipse follows on 20 December the same year, again for the Americas and Europe — two blood moons for the western hemisphere in 2029. Korea has none between 31 December 2028 and 25 April 2032.
The record totality is 1 hour 47 minutes on 16 July 2000, and 27 July 2018 at 1 hour 43 was the longest of the 21st century so far. June 2029 falls a minute short of that, the longest of its decade.
The eclipse of 26 June 2029 reaches maximum at 03:22 UT and is visible at night across the Americas, with totality lasting about 1 hour 42 minutes — on the long side. The Moon passes close to the centre of Earth’s shadow, so a deep red is expected during totality. It falls in daytime for Korea and cannot be seen there. A second total lunar eclipse follows on 20 December the same year, visible from Asia and Europe, making 2029 a year of two total lunar eclipses.
FAQ
How long is totality?
1 hour 42 minutes, because the Moon passes almost through the centre of Earth's shadow.
What time is it in New York?
Totality from 9:31 to 11:13 p.m. on 25 June, with maximum at 11:22 p.m.
Can it be seen from Korea?
No — it happens in Korean daytime after moonset. The sky replay recreates the New York night instead.
Why is this eclipse especially dark?
It crosses the centre of the shadow and stays long in its thickest part, so it looks far darker and redder than a grazing eclipse.
Related
- The 2028 New Year blood moon
- The 2032 total lunar eclipse from Seoul
- The 2029 Apophis flyby
- The Moon — object index
- Earth — object index
Times and figures are approximate — verify with official sources when planning travel. Simulation uses J2000 mean elements.