There are nights in August when looking up is well worth it. After the excitement of thegreat solar eclipse a few days ago, in the early morning hours from Thursday to Friday, August 28, the skies over Catalonia and the rest of Spain will become a prime vantage point for witnessing a partial lunar eclipse.
According to data provided by the National Geographic Institute, the phenomenon will result from a pure cosmic dance, just as the Earth comes between the Sun and our moon. Unlike other recent events that required great caution, anyone willing to get up a little early will be able to enjoy this astronomical spectacle with the naked eye, without any risk and without needing to purchase certified glasses or special instruments.
The peak: at 6:13 a.m.
For early risers (or those who decide to stay up all night), the eclipse will begin to appear at exactly 4:34 a.m. and will last until 7:52 a.m. However, the moment of maximum visibility and splendor will occur at 6:13 a.m. At that precise moment, our planet’s shadow will cover a spectacular 93% of the Moon’s surface.
It’s worth noting a small logistical detail: in Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, central and eastern Spain, and Melilla, the Moon will set below the horizon before the eclipse ends completely. In the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, as well as in the Canary Islands and Ceuta, observers will be able to see the entire event before the Moon sets.
When to look up at the sky, depending on your city
The dance of the celestial bodies means that the moon’s rise and set times will vary slightly depending on the exact location within the region where we are:
- Girona will be where the moon first disappears; it will rise at 8:36 p.m. on Thursday and set at 7:18 a.m. on Friday.
- In Barcelona, it will appear at 8:38 p.m. and disappear at 7:21 a.m.
- In Tarragona, it will be visible from 8:42 p.m. to 7:25 a.m.
- In Lleida, residents will have a few extra minutes to enjoy the final part of the eclipse, as the Moon will rise at 8:45 p.m. and won’t set until 7:27 a.m.
The Solar Eclipse’s Dance Partner
Although it may seem like a poetic coincidence to us, science has a very clear explanation. As detailed by science communicator Joan Anton Català Amigó, who specializes in astronomy and astrophysics, it is quite common for a lunar eclipse to occur just 15 days after a solar eclipse—exactly like the one we experienced on August 12.
The visual mechanism is simple: when illuminated by the Sun, the Earth casts a shadow cone. On this occasion, since it is a partial eclipse, only a portion of the Moon will enter the darkest part of that shadow cone ( even though it will reach a striking 93%).
Upcoming dates for the calendar
If, for whatever reason, you get sleepy tonight and fall asleep, you should know that the last total lunar eclipse we were able to enjoy in Catalonia was on September 7, 2025. For the next partial lunar eclipse visible from our region, we’ll have to be patient and wait until January 12, 2028.
But if you want to witness a total eclipse in all its splendor, the astronomical calendar has been a bit capricious: the next opportunity will be none other than New Year’s Eve, when we’ll bid farewell to the year 2028.
