Lunar eclipse guide: When and where to see in the UK

What is a lunar eclipse?

An eclipse of the Moon occurs when the Earth lies directly between the Sun and the Moon, and the Moon lies in the shadow of the Earth.

What are the different types of lunar eclipse?

For a total lunar eclipse to happen, all three bodies – the Sun, the Earth and the Moon – lie in a straight line. This means that the Moon passes through the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow - the umbra.

But a lunar eclipse isn't always 'total'. There are actually three different types of lunar eclipse.

Total lunar eclipse

During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon usually turns a deep, dark red because it is illuminated by light that has passed through the Earth's atmosphere and has been bent back towards the Moon by refraction.

Photo of the Moon undergoing a lunar eclipse against black space — Impact of a Meteoroid During the Total Lunar Eclipse © Rafael Ruiz, Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2019

Partial lunar eclipse

A partial lunar eclipse happens when the Moon passes through the Earth's penumbra (the outer region of the Earth’s shadow), and only a section of it passes through the umbra (the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow).

Penumbral lunar eclipse

A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon travels only through the outer, fainter part of the Earth's shadow, or 'penumbra'. This happens when the Earth moves between the Sun and Moon but the three do not form a perfectly straight line.

The penumbra causes only a slight darkening of the Moon's surface, with the Moon still exposed to some direct sunlight, so this type of eclipse is easy to miss.

When is the next lunar eclipse in the UK?

The table below shows upcoming UK lunar eclipse dates. Details and times given are for the Royal Observatory's home in London and may vary slightly around the country.

Date	Type of eclipse	What you'll see
20-21 February 2027	Penumbral lunar eclipse	During this eclipse the Moon will sit almost fully within the penumbra (the lighter part of Earth's shadow). The eclipse won't be particularly noticeable, as the Moon in the penumbra is only slightly darker than usual. The eclipse will begin at 9.12pm, reach maximum at 11.12pm and end at 1.13am.
12 January 2028	Partial lunar eclipse	The Moon will move fully within Earth's penumbra, with a very small sliver in the umbra (around 5%). The penumbral eclipse will begin at 2.07am, the partial eclipse at 3.45am, and maximum partial eclipse will be at 4.13am. Due to its early morning timing and the very small portion of the Moon in the umbra, this is probably not one to set an alarm for.
6 July 2028	Penumbral lunar eclipse	The Moon will rise just in time for a very subtle penumbral lunar eclipse (around 40% of the Moon in the penumbra). The Moon will be very low on the horizon, requiring a clear view to the south-east from moonrise at 9.20pm to the end of the eclipse at 9.55pm.

When is the next full Moon?

How to see a lunar eclipse

See astronomer Tom Kerss's top tips for observing and photographing a lunar eclipse in the video below.

When were the last lunar eclipses in the UK?

28 August 2026 - The partial lunar eclipse began at 3.33am BST. During the maximum of the eclipse at 5.12am, approximately 93% of the Moon was in Earth's umbra and the Moon turned a noticeable red hue.

7 September 2025 - The Moon rose above the horizon just in time for us to see a bit of this total lunar eclipse from the UK. As the Moon was very low on the horizon during the peak it was difficult to see the total portion of the eclipse, but the partial stages were more easily visible.

14 March 2025 partial lunar eclipse - During this eclipse, almost all of the Moon was in Earth's umbra. However, the setting Moon was very low on the horizon and set before the total portion of the eclipse.

The Moon during an eclipse, lit up a deep orange colour with the white light of the Sun just visible on the bottom right hand side — *An eclipse from a thousand sunsets* © Noah Kujawski - shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2022

How often do lunar eclipses happen?

A lunar eclipse happens between two to five times a year, with a total lunar eclipse occurring at least two every three years.

Why doesn't a lunar eclipse happen every month?

A lunar eclipse occurs during the full moon phase but an eclipse does not happen every month, even though the lunar cycle is 29.5 days. This is because the Moon’s orbit is inclined by 5˚ relative to the Earth’s orbit. This means that as it travels around the Earth it also moves up and down in its orbit.

How long does a lunar eclipse last?

Since the Earth is around four times wider than the Moon, its shadow can darken the Moon for up to five hours depending on conditions. Lunar eclipses can be seen between two and five times every year – from somewhere on the Earth’s surface. Total lunar eclipses are much rarer from one particular location.

What is a supermoon?

When the Moon is close to perigee, the closest point to Earth in its orbit, it makes the Moon appear slightly larger than usual. This phenomenon has been dubbed a 'supermoon'. Much like 'blood moon' it is not an official astronomical term. A 'supermoon' will appear up to 7% larger than a regular full moon.

Find out more about supermoons

Why is a lunar eclipse called a 'blood moon' – and are they actually red?

People sometimes refer to a lunar eclipse as a ‘blood moon’ because the Moon can turn a deep coppery red colour during an eclipse.

However, the colour of the Moon during totality will depend on the global state of dust in the Earth’s atmosphere. Dust in the atmosphere blocks out the higher-frequency blue light waves, but the longer wavelength of red light is still able to come through.

Image of a lake at twilight with snow-capped mountains behind it, while in the sky multiple images of a lunar eclipse have been compiled to make an arc showing its movement through the sky and its colour change from white to red, back to white

In focus

Passage of a Lunar Eclipse by Mike White

Taken at Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, South Island, New Zealand

"This image was taken during the total lunar eclipse of 8 and 9 November 2022 as viewed from the Tasman Valley. New Zealand’s tallest peak, Aoraki stands in the centre of the frame," writes photographer Mike White.

"The path of the Moon across the sky was plotted using the panoramic sequences and the detailed telescope exposures were manually blended for HDR then meticulously resized and plotted to create the final image. The final image encompasses a night spent viewing the eclipse rather than capturing a single moment."

This image was shortlisted in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2023.