The total lunar eclipse on December 21, 2010, is the last eclipse of the year. This is second of two lunar eclipses in 2010. The last time a total lunar eclipse occurred before that was on February 21, 2008.
This eclipse was visible in Columbus - go to local timings and animation
Where the Eclipse Was Seen
Try our new interactive eclipse maps. Zoom in and search for accurate eclipse times and visualizations for any location.
Regions seeing, at least, some parts of the eclipse: Europe, Asia, Australia, North/West Africa, North America, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic.
This eclipse was visible in Columbus - go to local timings and animation
Eclipse Map and Animation
The animation shows where this total lunar eclipse is visible during the night (dark “wave” slowly moving across the Earth's surface).
Shades of darkness
Night, moon high up in sky.
Moon between 12 and 18 degrees above horizon.
Moon between 6 and 12 degrees above horizon. Make sure you have free line of sight.
Moon between 0 and 6 degrees above horizon. May be hard to see due to brightness and line of sight.
Day, moon and eclipse both not visible.
Note: Twilight will affect the visibility of the eclipse, as well as weather.
Entire eclipse was visible from start to end
Entire partial and total phases were visible. Missed part of penumbral phase.
Entire total phase was visible. Missed part of partial & penumbral phases.
Some of the total phase was visible. Missed part of total, partial & penumbral phases.
Some of the partial phase was visible. Missed total phase and part of partial & penumbral phases.
Some of the penumbral phase was visible. Missed total & partial phases.
Eclipse was not visible at all.
Note: Areas with lighter shadings left (West) of the center will experience the eclipse after moonrise/sunset. Areas with lighter shadings right (East) of the center will experience the eclipse until moonset/sunrise. Actual eclipse visibility depends on weather conditions and line of sight to the Moon.
When the Eclipse Happened Worldwide — Timeline
Lunar eclipses can be visible from everywhere on the night side of the Earth, if the sky is clear. From some places the entire eclipse will be visible, while in other areas the Moon will rise or set during the eclipse.
| Eclipse Stages Worldwide | UTC Time | Local Time in Columbus* | Visible in Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penumbral Eclipse began | Dec 21 at 05:29:19 | Dec 21 at 12:29:19 am | Yes |
| Partial Eclipse began | Dec 21 at 06:32:40 | Dec 21 at 1:32:40 am | Yes |
| Full Eclipse began | Dec 21 at 07:40:51 | Dec 21 at 2:40:51 am | Yes |
| Maximum Eclipse | Dec 21 at 08:16:56 | Dec 21 at 3:16:56 am | Yes |
| Full Eclipse ended | Dec 21 at 08:53:07 | Dec 21 at 3:53:07 am | Yes |
| Partial Eclipse ended | Dec 21 at 10:01:19 | Dec 21 at 5:01:19 am | Yes |
| Penumbral Eclipse ended | Dec 21 at 11:04:32 | Dec 21 at 6:04:32 am | Yes |
* The Moon was above the horizon during this eclipse, so with good weather conditions in Columbus, the entire eclipse was visible.
Quick Facts About This Eclipse
| Data | Value | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Magnitude | 1.256 | Fraction of the Moon’s diameter covered by Earth’s umbra |
| Obscuration | 100.0% | Percentage of the Moon's area covered by Earth's umbra |
| Penumbral magnitude | 2.281 | Fraction of the Moon's diameter covered by Earth's penumbra |
| Overall duration | 5 hours, 35 minutes | Period between the beginning and end of all eclipse phases |
| Duration of totality | 1 hour, 12 minutes | Period between the beginning and end of the total phase |
| Duration of partial phases | 2 hours, 16 minutes | Combined period of both partial phases |
| Duration of penumbral phases | 2 hours, 7 minutes | Combined period of both penumbral phases |
Eclipse calculations usually accurate to a few seconds
How Many People Can See This Eclipse?
| Number of People Seeing... | Number of People* | Fraction of World Population |
|---|---|---|
| At least some of the penumbral phase | 3,610,000,000 | 51.73% |
| At least some of the partial phase | 2,760,000,000 | 39.59% |
| At least some of the total phase | 1,460,000,000 | 20.97% |
| All of the total phase | 782,000,000 | 11.20% |
| All of the total and partial phases | 610,000,000 | 8.74% |
| The entire eclipse from beginning to end | 553,000,000 | 7.93% |
* The number of people refers to the resident population (as a round number) in areas where the eclipse is visible. timeanddate has calculated these numbers using raw population data provided by the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University. The raw data is based on population estimates from the year 2000 to 2020.
An Eclipse Never Comes Alone!
A solar eclipse always occurs about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse.
Usually, there are two eclipses in a row, but other times, there are three during the same eclipse season.
This is the first eclipse this season.
Second eclipse this season: January 4, 2011 — Partial Solar Eclipse