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Near Total Lunar Eclipse Visible from Tucson

Aug 2008 Lunar Eclipse

About this Lunar Eclipse

We have a partial lunar eclipse coming up on Thursday, August 27, 2026 that will be visible from Tucson! It will be in the evening, at a convenient time that is not too late. While it is not a total eclipse, a maximum of about 96% of the Moon's area will be in the Earth's umbra, or inner shadow. There will be just a tiny sliver that remains in the penumbra, or outer shadow. You can expect to see something like the photo here, taken during a similar eclipse in 2008. (Actually, that one only got up to 84%, so we'll see a little more coverage.

Partial Lunar Eclipse Timeline

  • Penumbral eclipse starts: 6:23 pm (not visible)
  • Moon rises 6:45 pm
  • Partial eclipse starts: 7:33 pm
  • Maximum eclipse: 9:12 pm
  • Partial eclipse ends: 10:51 pm
  • Penumbral eclipse ends: 12:01 am

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Join the Partial Lunar Eclipse Watch Party at Flandrau!

Thursday, August 27, 2026 | 5:30 to 11PM

1601 E University Blvd.

Presented by the Joseph Stanley Leeds Foundation

Telescopes, activities, planetarium presentations, laser shows, and community!

All activities, presentations, and shows are free for everyone thanks to our generous presenting sponsor!

In order to serve more visitors, there is a strict limit of one planetarium or laser show per person, please.

5:30PM - Science Center open all night

Explore the new astronomy, exoplanet, and extraterrestrial communication research exhibit Mysteries of the Cosmos: Life in the Universe along with six other exhibits exploring Mars, science careers, insects, marine life, sharks, and fossils! All exhibits will be open until 11PM.

Dark side of the moon rendering

6PM - Planetarium Show: Tucson Moon & Beyond

Let our planetarium operators take you on a live journey sharing fascinating facts about the night sky and our closest natural satellite, the Moon!

Forward to the Moon

7PM - Planetarium Show: Forward! To the Moon

Learn all about NASA’s Artemis program, named after the Greek moon Goddess and twin of Apollo, and the next step in our mission to conduct new research and research bases on the moon.

7:45PM - Laser Show: Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon

The generational experience on a very appropriate night. Add your journey to the Dark Side of the Moon to your evening. This show is about one hour long and gets out before the maximum eclipse.

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9:12PM - Maximum Eclipse

Head outside on the U of A Mall to catch 96% of the Moon covered by Earth's shadow!

9:45PM - Laser Show: Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon (encore)

First show sold out? No problem! Stay a little later to enjoy a second screening of this favorite laser show.

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About the Lunar Eclipse Phases

The penumbral phase is very subtle, just slightly dimmer than a normal full moon, as the Earth is blocking only some of the sunlight from the Moon. Then, the partial phase is more noticeable as the Moon begins to enter Earth's umbra, where all of the light is blocked. It may look like someone has taken a bite out of the Moon! While we won't get to see the full effect of a total lunar eclipse, there may be enough coverage that you can see a reddish tint in the darkest part of the shadow, which comes from the glow of sunrises and sunsets around the globe!

A lunar eclipse is something that can be enjoyed either with the naked eye or with a telescope.  So however you view the eclipse, enjoy!

Future Lunar Eclipses Visible from Tucson

Our next lunar eclipse visible from Tucson will be a penumbral one in August 2027, then a partial one in January 2028. The next total lunar eclipse we'll see will be in June 2029.

Science Snacks – Space Bites – All About Lunar Eclipses

Discover how and why Lunar Eclipses occur!