Watch our exclusive webcast of the last total lunar eclipse anywhere until 2018! View the eclipse and expert commentary between 9 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. EDT.


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Total lunar eclipse
Aligning his camera on the same star for nine successive exposures, Sky & Telescope contributing photographer Akira Fujii captured this record of the Moon’s progress through Earth’s shadow in July 2000.

During the past two years, observers around the world have enjoyed a rare string of successive total lunar eclipses. The next lunar eclipse, and the fourth and final event in this tetrad, is rapidly approaching, occurring on the night of September 27–28. North Americans are well positioned to view this eclipse, but no matter where you are in the world — stuck indoors, under cloudy skies, or outside the eclipse zone — you'll have a chance to view it live, right here, in high-definition splendor!

Our exclusive webcast begins Sunday night, September 27th, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (1:00 Universal Time on the 28th). Watch our live streaming coverage as the Moon glides into and out of Earth's deep umbral shadow. Your host, S&T Senior Editor Kelly Beatty, has lined up several special guests for this captivating event:

Sky & Telescope
Sky & Telescope
Alan MacRobert, a veteran S&T Senior Editor who's scrutinized the Moon through all kinds of telescopes.

Sean Walker
Sky & Telescope
Sean Walker, S&T's Equipment Editor and a veteran astrophotographer who knows the best ways to capture the eclipse

MIT / Donna Coveney
MIT / D. Coveney
Maria Zuber, MIT geophysicist, lead scientist for NASA's GRAIL mission, and an expert on the lunar interior

Andrew Chaikin
S&T: Kelly Beatty
Andrew Chaikin, space historian and acclaimed author of A Man on the Moon, which details the Apollo landings in the astronauts' own words

Charles A. Wood
Planetary Science Inst.
Charles Wood, an expert in lunar geology and author of S&T's Exploring the Moon column

Erich Karkoschka
Univ. of Arizona
Erich Karkoschka, a University of Arizona planetary scientist whose research explains why Earth's shadow is slightly larger than the planet itself
Total lunar eclipse on Sept. 27-28, 2015
Events for the total lunar eclipse on the night of September 27–28, 2015. This version is labeled for Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Adjust for your time zone accordingly. Due to the Moon's slightly off-center path through Earth's umbra, the southern half of its disk should look slightly brighter during totality than the northern half.
Sky & Telescope illustration

This event offers a geometric bonus: it features the biggest eclipsed Moon you'll see for the next two decades. The closest lunar perigee of 2015 occurs just 59 minutes before the mid-eclipse mark of 10:47 p.m. EDT. That means the Moon's disk will have an apparent diameter 13% larger than it had during the last eclipse back in April.

Remember: If you miss this event, you won't get another chance to see a total lunar eclipse until January 2018! Join skywatchers from around the world for this fun and informative celestial feast for the eyes.

Comments


Image of Anthony Barreiro

Anthony Barreiro

September 9, 2015 at 1:01 pm

This sounds like an interesting webcast. I'm hoping for clear skies and if so I'll be out observing the Moon, rather than the internet pointing at the Moon. Will the webcast be available for later viewing?

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J. Kelly Beatty

September 22, 2015 at 4:19 pm

Anthony, yes, we plan to archive it . . . not quite sure where/how yet.

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September 27, 2015 at 7:42 pm

If you guys broadcast it live on Youtube, then it will be archived automatically.

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Jean Loup

September 26, 2015 at 6:52 pm

Of course you are aware the skech showing the Path of the Moon, iS WRONG: the Moon moves from EAST to WEST. Either the cardinals are inverted, but since they are in that position when we look upwards to the Sky, the arrow must be inverted!! Sorry to point that typo, me ignoramus máximus. (but please correct it!!)
¡¡Hasta la Vista, amigos!!

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September 27, 2015 at 10:17 am

It will be cloudy in western NY I will watch on line for shure

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Jack-Dunn

September 27, 2015 at 2:45 pm

What locations are you using or your video stream? Trying to get an idea of your chances.East Coast appears
to be cloudy.

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Justin S

September 27, 2015 at 3:32 pm

When will be the next Harvest Moon that is eclipsed?

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September 27, 2015 at 7:00 pm

Thanks! Here on The Gulf Coast is Rain, Rain & more heavy Rain! Looking forward to viewing it on this site! Thank you! ✌️️

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September 27, 2015 at 9:08 pm

Been waiting all month for this,,,hasn't rained at night for a month,,,tonight, watched the Harvest Moon rise for about 45 minutes until the thunder clouds moved in and,,,,adios chance to see the last event of this kind for 18 years,,,,disappointing to say the least.

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Marc Dubbeldam

October 1, 2015 at 5:53 am

Jean,

The sketch is correct as it shows the path of the moon relative to earth's shadow (as projected on the sky). Due to the earth's rotation, its shadow will move from east to west (along with the stars). However, as the moon moves from west to east relative to the stars, it moves from west to east through the earth's shadow.

Hope this explains the drawing.

Marc

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