Total lunar eclipse (2033)
On 8 October 2033 a total lunar eclipse is visible from start to finish across north-east Asia, eastern Australia, the Pacific and western North America. The Moon glows red for about 79 minutes, from 10:17 to 11:36 UTC.
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The story
On 8 October 2033, a total lunar eclipse will be visible from start to finish across north-east Asia, eastern Australia, the Pacific and western North America. At 09:15 UTC the dark part of Earth's shadow begins to cover the full Moon. By 10:17 UTC the whole Moon is inside the shadow and turns red. Totality lasts about 79 minutes, until 11:36 UTC.
What makes this eclipse special is that it happens while the Moon is low in the eastern sky. A Moon near the horizon looks larger than one high overhead. It is not really bigger; the effect is an illusion created by our eyes and brain. So a red Moon rising over city buildings or mountain ridges makes a striking sight, both in photographs and to the eye.
On top of that, the Moon reaches its closest point to Earth only about three hours before the eclipse. That makes this a ‘supermoon’ eclipse, with the Moon looking slightly larger than an average full Moon. The Moon also passes close to the centre of Earth's shadow, so totality is long and the red colour is expected to be deep. It will be the first supermoon lunar eclipse since May 2022.
A lunar eclipse unfolds slowly over several hours, so there is no need to rush. The naked eye is enough, and the eclipse can be watched after dinner from a window or a park with an open view to the east. As the sky around the Moon darkens during totality, the autumn constellations Pisces and the Great Square of Pegasus become easier to see.
Viewing guide — timing and direction
A lunar eclipse is safe to watch with the naked eye. Because this one begins while the Moon is low, the most important thing is to find a spot in advance with a clear view down to the eastern horizon. Tall buildings or hills to the east could hide the early partial phase. The weather cannot be known ahead of time, so check the forecast in the days before.
Choose the October 2033 eclipse in the event list of NowSky's sky view to replay the Moon rising in the early-evening eastern sky over north-east Asia and entering Earth's shadow. Move the location west, for example to Beijing, and you will see that the eclipse is further along when the Moon rises there. The orbit view shows the Sun, Earth and Moon in a line together with the cone of Earth's shadow.
See this for yourself — open that sky at that moment · replay the moment in the orbit view
Why this lunar eclipse is worth it
This eclipse is the last in a run of four total lunar eclipses in a row, called a tetrad, that began in April 2032. The October 2032 and April 2033 eclipses are best placed for East Africa and Asia, while this last one favours the Pacific side of the globe. In north-east Asia it takes place in the early evening, making it easy to watch with family.
Recording the colour and brightness of the Moon during a total eclipse is a science activity anyone can join. The Danjon scale rates it from 0, an almost invisible black Moon, to 4, bright copper. After a large volcanic eruption, tiny particles in the air block sunlight and the Moon looks dark; in years with clear air it looks bright. The rating for this eclipse will depend on the state of Earth's atmosphere that year.
An eclipse near the horizon is also a good chance for photography. A picture of a Moon high in the sky shows no landscape, so its size is hard to judge, but a low Moon can be framed with buildings or hills. Even a smartphone, fixed on a tripod and set to night mode, can capture the red Moon. The eclipsed Moon is much dimmer than usual, so a slightly longer exposure helps.
Background
The same eclipse looks different depending on where you watch it. This one can be seen from start to finish in north-east Asia, eastern Australia, the Pacific and western North America. In north-east Asia it begins around moonrise in the evening; in the middle of the Pacific it happens high in the sky around midnight; and in western North America it is seen before dawn, before the Moon sets.
This eclipse belongs to Saros series 137. A saros is a cycle of about 18 years and 11 days after which a similar eclipse comes around again. The previous eclipse in this series was the supermoon total eclipse of 28 September 2015, and the next will be on 19 October 2051. In 2015, too, the eclipse came when the Moon was near its closest point to Earth, and it looked about 14 percent larger than a full Moon at its farthest.
A solar eclipse often happens about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse. This eclipse's partner is the partial solar eclipse of 23 September 2033, about two weeks earlier, visible from the southern hemisphere. The two events pair up because both happen during the same period when the Sun, Earth and Moon line up closely. Knowing the date of a lunar eclipse therefore gives a good hint about when a nearby solar eclipse will occur.
FAQ
Is the eclipse already under way at moonrise?
The partial phase begins at 09:15 UTC, around moonrise in north-east Asia. When the Moon rises it is already in the faint outer part of Earth's shadow, but the difference is hard to notice by eye. The farther west you are, the further along the eclipse is at moonrise.
Where is the best place to watch?
Anywhere with a clear view down to the eastern horizon. From a riverside, a beach or a hilltop with nothing blocking the east, you can see the red Moon together with city buildings or mountain ridges.
Can I photograph it with a phone?
Yes. Fix the phone on a tripod and use night mode to capture the red Moon. Because the Moon is low, it is easy to include the landscape in the picture.
How is it different from the April 2032 eclipse?
The April 2032 eclipse happened around midnight with the Moon high in the southern sky. The October 2033 eclipse happens in the early evening with the Moon low in the east, and its totality is longer, about 79 minutes.
Related
- Total lunar eclipse (2032)
- Total lunar eclipse of 2028
- Total eclipse over East Asia (2035)
- The Moon — object index
- Pegasus — object index
Times and figures are approximate — verify with official sources when planning travel. Simulation uses J2000 mean elements.