Home / Editor's Pick /

Storms hamper view: Partial lunar eclipse visible tonight

11:00
28 October 2023

Storms hamper view
Partial lunar eclipse visible tonight

Partial lunar eclipse casts moon in a red hue

A partial lunar eclipse is visible across the entirety of the UK and Ireland tonight... lest you be caught beneath a band of heavy rain and storms in the south.

Two weeks after the United States was treated to an annular solar eclipse, we get our own eclipse tonight as the full moon, known as the Hunter's Moon, travels through the Earth’s shadow.

During a partial eclipse, the full moon passes through the penumbra, a light area of Earth’s shadow, and only partially through the umbra, the darkest area. Sadly, the event will be masked for many beneath heavy rain and possible thunderstorms.

The eclipse will begin at around 07:00 pm this evening, at this time a thick band of heavy rain stretches from Wales, across the midlands, and into the southeast.

As the eclipse reaches its peak, around 09:15 pm, this band has shifted slightly moving deeper into East Anglia and also stretching across the Irish Sea to cover Dublin which some thunderstorms are likely.

Don't miss out!

The next partial lunar eclipse will not arrive until September 17, 2024.

Which means your best chance to see the eclipse as it peaks is in the west of Ireland and Northern Ireland. For many of us, we will need a stroke of luck and a break in cloud cover.

Unlike a total lunar eclipse, a partial eclipse appears when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are not quite totally aligned.

When covered by the penumbra, our lunar companion will appear to take a red hue due to sunlight being scattered as it passes through our planet’s atmosphere.

You don’t need any special equipment, though a telescope will offer a better view. If you manage to dodge the clouds and capture the event, be sure to show it off and submit through our uploader!

October's full astronomy outlookread more
Ryan Hathaway
More on the topic
Monday 23 June 2025

Gusts of up to 45 mph

Wind warnings start the week
Monday 30 June 2025

Noctilucent cloud season

Shimmering clouds over UK and Ireland
Friday 27 June 2025

Noctilucent clouds

Season of the shimmering clouds
All weather news
This might also interest you
Thursday 26 June 2025

Breakfast brief

Gusting winds return with bands of rain
Friday 27 June 2025

Breakfast brief

Rain for some, heat returns elsewhere
Sunday 29 June 2025

Your weather - Your shots

Colourful and stormy skylines
All articles
Weather & Radar

www.weatherandradar.ie

facebooktwitteryouTubeContact uslinkList
Privacy Policy | Legal info | Accessibility statement