Total Lunar Eclipse November 8, 2022

#LunarEclipse #MoonEclipse
From most of the U.S. and Canada, the entire lunar eclipse will be visible early on November 8. Depending on your time zone, that means staying up late on November 7 or setting your alarm to wake up early in the wee hours of November 8. (See the eclipse times for your time zone are below.)

The eclipsed Moon will be a strange, coppery sight—which is why you may hear this referred to as a “Blood Moon.” It’s well worth a look by early risers and insomniacs who have unobstructed views of the low western sky.

And here’s a fun fact: This is the first time in U.S. history that we’re enjoying an Election Day Total Lunar Eclipse. It’s never happened before and won’t happen again until 2394. 

Lunar Eclipse Election Day
Lunar eclipse blood moon
blood moon November 8
full moon November 8

Watching a total lunar eclipse won’t match the mind-blowing experience of totality during a solar eclipse or the brief seconds of an exploding meteor fireball. Still, we’re all intrigued to watch our planet’s normally-invisible shadow swallow the moon. It’s proof we really live on a ball. And during totality we marvel at its odd ruddy color.

Admittedly, this eclipse is not very convenient. The first inky bite of our planet’s shadow strikes the Moon at 4:09 E.S.T. meaning just after 4 AM in the Eastern States, and a little after 1 AM in the Pacific Time Zone, which means it’s technically happening the opening hours of Tuesday. During the next hour and change, the moon’s 2,200 mph motion through space pushes it further into the shadow, creating strange, alien shapes. The very weirdest unfold the quarter hour before totality, starting around 5 AM Eastern Time. If you choose one viewing time to set the alarm for, it should be then.

At 5:15 AM EST the eclipse becomes total, and this lasts for nearly an hour. But the Moon is then getting lower and lower, so any hills, houses, or trees may block it altogether. Still, it’s worth a look since lunar totality is a coppery red, caused by our planet’s shadow being orange, not black, since it’s tinted by all the world’s sunrises and sunsets throwing their ruddy light into the shadow. When our atmosphere is unusually cloudy or dusty, like after major volcanic eruptions, totalities have been inky black, with the moon completely vanishing. This variability is one of the big unknowns and inspires curious onlookers who might otherwise prefer the extra hour of sleep.

Total Lunar Eclipse Times: November 7–8, 2022

See eclipse times below for the major North American time zones. Find more time zones.

Notice that in the eastern time zone, the Moon will be below the horizon toward the end. See the Moon rise/set calculator.

Eclipse Times (Eastern): 
Partial Eclipse begins: 4:09 A.M. 
Full Eclipse begins: 5:16 A.M. 
Maximum Eclipse: 5:59 A.M.  
Full Eclipse ends: 6:41 A.M.
Partial Eclipse ends: 7:49 A.M.   Not visible, Moon below horizon.

Eclipse Times (Central): 
Partial Eclipse begins: 3:09 A.M. 
Full