✨ Caelus • Lunar Eclipse on September 16, 1978

September 09, 2026 17:04:50 UTC+02:00 [48.85° N, 2.35° E]

‹ All eclipses in 1978

Total Lunar Eclipse

September 16, 1978

Umbra Penumbra Moon

Greatest Eclipse

21:04

19:04 UTC

Duration

5h 23m

first to last penumbral contact

Deepest Phase

1h 18m

Totality

Umbral Magnitude

1.327

of the diameter in the umbra

Penumbral Magnitude

2.306

of the diameter in the penumbra

Gamma

0.295

1 882 km north of the axis

🕐 Contacts

Times in Europe/Paris, with UTC underneath.

First penumbral contact (P1)

The Moon touches Earth's penumbra and starts to dim.

18:22

16:22 UTC

PA 83.3°

-15.6° alt · 77° az
First umbral contact (U1)

The Moon reaches the umbra and the partial eclipse begins.

19:20

17:20 UTC

PA 89.2°

-6.4° alt · 88° az
Second umbral contact (U2)

The Moon is entirely inside the umbra and totality begins.

20:24

18:24 UTC

PA 290.9°

3.9° alt · 99° az
Greatest eclipse

The Moon's centre is least distant from the axis of Earth's shadow.

21:04

19:04 UTC

PA 342.3°

10.1° alt · 107° az
Third umbral contact (U3)

The Moon starts leaving the umbra and totality ends.

21:43

19:43 UTC

PA 33.8°

16.1° alt · 114° az
Fourth umbral contact (U4)

The Moon leaves the umbra and the partial eclipse ends.

22:47

20:47 UTC

PA 235.5°

25.0° alt · 128° az
Last penumbral contact (P4)

The Moon leaves Earth's penumbra and the eclipse ends.

23:46

21:46 UTC

PA 241.4°

31.8° alt · 142° az

The position angle is measured on the Moon's limb from celestial north through east, the convention IMCCE and NASA publish, so these values can be compared with a published table directly.

👁 Visibility

From your location.

The eclipse is already under way when the Moon rises.

Penumbral phase: Partly visible
Partial phase: Partly visible
Totality: Entirely visible

Moon rises: 19:55 17:55 UTC

Moon above the horizon: 19:55 – 23:46

A lunar eclipse happens at the same moment everywhere. All that changes from place to place is whether the Moon is above the horizon.

⏳ Durations

Penumbral phase 5h 23m

Partial phase 3h 27m

Totality 1h 18m

🌍 About This Eclipse

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, causing the Earth's shadow to completely cover the Moon. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon can take on a reddish color due to the scattering of sunlight through the Earth's atmosphere, often referred to as a "Blood Moon."

A lunar eclipse is a geocentric event. The contacts and magnitudes on this page are the same for every observer who can see the Moon at that moment.