| Global Event: | Total Lunar Eclipse |
|---|---|
| Local Type: | Partial Lunar Eclipse in Rapid City, South Dakota |
| Begins: | Thu, Dec 20, 2029 at 4:15 pm |
| Maximum: | Thu, Dec 20, 2029 at 4:19 pm 0.898 Magnitude |
| Ends: | Thu, Dec 20, 2029 at 6:41 pm |
| Duration: | 2 hours, 26 minutes | All times shown on this page are local time. |
December 20, 2029 — Total Lunar Eclipse — Rapid City
The animation shows what the eclipse approximately looks like in Rapid City. Stages and times of the eclipse are outlined below. All times are local time (MST) for Rapid City.
| Time | Phase | Event | Direction | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:42 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Not directly visible | Penumbral Eclipse begins Below horizon |  14° | -22.2° |
| 1:55 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Not directly visible | Partial Eclipse begins Below horizon | 30° | -17.5° |
| 3:15 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Not directly visible | Total Eclipse begins Below horizon | 46° | -8.9° |
| 3:42 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Not directly visible | Maximum Eclipse Below horizon | 51° | -5.4° |
| 4:08 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Not directly visible | Total Eclipse ends Below horizon | 56° | -0.9° |
| 4:15 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Rising | Moonrise Rising | 57° | -0.2° |
| 4:19 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Maximum in Rapid City This is the moment when the eclipse reaches its greatest magnitude while the entire Moon is above the horizon in Rapid City. The true maximum point of this eclipse cannot be seen in Rapid City because the Moon is below the horizon at that time. Since the Moon is near the horizon at this time, we recommend going to a high point or finding an unobstructed area with free sight to East-northeast for the best view of the eclipse. | 57° | 0.4° | |
| 5:28 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Partial Eclipse ends Partial moon eclipse ends. | 68° | 10.6° | |
| 6:41 pm Thu, Dec 20 | Penumbral Eclipse ends The Earth's penumbra ends. | 80° | 22.6° |
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 Rapid City, but it can be observed there as a partial lunar eclipse. The Earth's shadow covers a large portion of the Moon, so this is still a nice sight.
Cloud Coverage (Dec 20)
In the past, this day was cloudy 70% 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 Rapid City
| Eclipse Visibility From Rapid City | 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 |  | |
| Feb 20, 2027 Penumbral Lunar Eclipse | Penumbral Lunar Eclipse |  | |
| Aug 16–17, 2027 Penumbral Lunar Eclipse | Penumbral Lunar Eclipse |  | Note: Click on the date link for details in Rapid City, or the path map image for global details. |