| Global Event: | Total Lunar Eclipse |
|---|---|
| Local Type: | Penumbral Lunar Eclipse in Palo Alto, California |
| Begins: | Thu, Dec 20, 2029 at 4:55 pm |
| Maximum: | Thu, Dec 20, 2029 at 5:05 pm -0.546 Magnitude |
| Ends: | Thu, Dec 20, 2029 at 5:41 pm |
| Duration: | 45 minutes | All times shown on this page are local time. |
December 20, 2029 — Total Lunar Eclipse — Palo Alto
The animation shows what the eclipse approximately looks like in Palo Alto. Stages and times of the eclipse are outlined below. All times are local time (PST) for Palo Alto.
| Time | Phase | Event | Direction | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:42 am Thu, Dec 20 | Not directly visible | Penumbral Eclipse begins Below horizon |  355° | -30.0° |
| 12:55 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Not directly visible | Partial Eclipse begins Below horizon | 13° | -28.9° |
| 2:15 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Not directly visible | Total Eclipse begins Below horizon | 32° | -23.0° |
| 2:42 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Not directly visible | Maximum Eclipse Below horizon | 37° | -20.1° |
| 3:08 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Not directly visible | Total Eclipse ends Below horizon | 42° | -16.8° |
| 4:28 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Not directly visible | Partial Eclipse ends Below horizon | 56° | -5.2° |
| 4:55 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Rising | Moonrise Rising | 60° | -0.2° |
| 5:05 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Maximum in Palo Alto This is the moment when the eclipse reaches its greatest magnitude while the entire Moon is above the horizon in Palo Alto. The true maximum point of this eclipse cannot be seen in Palo Alto because the Moon is below the horizon at that time. Moon close to horizon, recommend going to a high point. | 62° | 1.2° | |
| 5:41 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Penumbral Eclipse ends The Earth's penumbra ends. Moon close to horizon, so make sure you have free sight to East-northeast. | 67° | 7.1° |
How to use altitude & direction to find in the sky
The curvature of the shadow's path and the apparent rotation of the Moon's disk is due to the Earth's rotation.
The total phase of this lunar eclipse is not visible in Palo Alto, but it can be observed there as a penumbral lunar eclipse. A penumbral lunar eclipse can be a bit hard to see as the shadowed part is only a little bit fainter than the rest of the Moon.
Cloud Coverage (Dec 20)
In the past, this day was cloudy 56% of the time (since 2000).
Lunar Eclipses
- When Is the Next Lunar Eclipse?
- Total Lunar Eclipse
- Why Does the Moon Turn Red?
- Partial Lunar Eclipse
- Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
- Can I See a Lunar Eclipse?
- Blood Moon - Total Lunar Eclipse
- Eclipse Seasons
- What Is a Tetrad?
- Magnitude of Eclipses
- Accuracy of Our Eclipse Calculations
- Why Two Dates for a Lunar Eclipse?
Eclipses and Transits Visible in Palo Alto
| Eclipse Visibility From Palo Alto | Visibility Worldwide | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13–14, 2025 Total Lunar Eclipse | Total Lunar Eclipse |  | |
| Mar 3, 2026 Total Lunar Eclipse | Total Lunar Eclipse |  | |
| Aug 27–28, 2026 Partial Lunar Eclipse | Partial Lunar Eclipse |  | |
| Aug 16–17, 2027 Penumbral Lunar Eclipse | Penumbral Lunar Eclipse |  | |
| Jan 11, 2028 Partial Lunar Eclipse | Partial Lunar Eclipse |  | Note: Click on the date link for details in Palo Alto, or the path map image for global details. |