Lunar Eclipse 2026 will bring a partial lunar eclipse in the early hours of Friday, with about 90% of the Moon inside Earth's umbra at 05:12 BST. Jonathan Hall of the Bath Astronomers Society said Blood Moons have “a certain sort of magical feeling” about them.
The Moon will begin to enter Earth's darkest shadow at around 03:33 BST on Friday morning, then reach its most stark moment across the West at about 05:12 BST. At that point, the Moon will be very low in the south-western sky, which will make the Moon Illusion more noticeable for viewers on high ground.
West Country viewpoints
High ground offers the best chance of a clear sightline, and the suggested spots include Troopers Hill, Perrett's Park and the Clifton Observatory in Bristol; Lansdown Hill in Bath; Robinswood Hill, Leckhampton Hill and Crickley Hill Country Park in Gloucestershire; Glastonbury Tor, the Mendips and Brean Down in Somerset; and the Westbury White Horse, Hackpen Hill and Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. Hall said: “It's a slight optical illusion,” and added: “The lower the moon appears above the horizon, the bigger it can appear to the human eye. Although in honesty if you measured it, it's a fraction of a difference.”
Cloud and rain from the West
Stephen Dixon of the Met Office said: “The weather will be gradually turning more unsettled later this week, with frequent periods of rain and cloud for many.” He added: “Late Thursday evening – before midnight - could see a brief visibility window for some in the southwest, but cloud is likely to increasingly hinder viewings through much of the night from the West, though it's not possible to rule out the odd clearer spell at times.”
For anyone hoping to watch the Blood Moon, the practical choice is simple: get to high ground before dawn and be prepared for cloud to cut the view short. The eclipse reaches its strongest point at 05:12 BST, but the weather may decide how much of the Moon in Earth many viewers actually see.
