Lunar eclipses 2028 in Germany and Central Europe: dates, times and the New Year’s Eve blood moon
There are three lunar eclipses in 2028. In Germany and Central Europe, the last is the highlight: on Sunday, 31 December 2028, the full moon lies entirely within Earth’s umbra from 17:16 to 18:28 CET, glowing copper-red as a blood moon, low in the east just after moonrise. This New Year’s Eve full moon is also a blue moon: the second full moon in December. The partial eclipse on 12 January 2028 is visible throughout in the early morning, but covers only just over 6 % of the Moon’s diameter (maximum at 05:13 CET). The partial eclipse on 6 July 2028 ends before the Moon rises here.
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Penumbral eclipses are hard to see with the naked eye: one side of the Moon simply looks a little greyer. Get every full moon as a calendar feed: Subscribe to the moon calendar.
Lunar eclipses in 2028 at a glance
| Date | Type | Magnitude | Maximum | In Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, 12 Jan 2028 | partial | 0,07 | 05:13 CET | visible throughout, Moon 26–30° high in the west, but only a tiny notch on its southern edge |
| Thu, 6 July 2028 | partial | 0,39 | 20:20 CEST | practically invisible: the umbral phase ends at 21:30, with moonrise between 21:16 (München) and 21:50 (Hamburg) |
| Sun, 31 Dec 2028 | total | 1,25 | 17:52 CET | totality visible throughout, Moon 5–20° high in the east to north-east |
“Magnitude” is the fraction of the Moon’s diameter within the umbra; an eclipse is total from 1.00. Contact times are from NASA/GSFC (F. Espenak), converted to Central European Time (CET in winter, CEST in summer) and rounded to the nearest minute; they occur simultaneously everywhere. Moon altitudes for each city are our own calculations, checked against sterngucker.de and astrocorner.de.
New Year’s Eve blood moon on 31 December 2028
This New Year’s Eve eclipse is the first total lunar eclipse visible in Germany since 7 September 2025. No total lunar eclipse occurs anywhere in the world between the one on 3 March 2026 (below our horizon) and this one. Totality lasts 71 minutes and falls in the early evening, well before the midnight fireworks.
| Phase | Time (CET) | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Penumbral phase begins | 15:04 | Moon still below the horizon |
| Umbral phase begins | 16:08 | Moon rising, with a notch missing from its edge |
| Totality begins | 17:16 | the whole Moon turns copper- to brick-red |
| Maximum | 17:52 | darkest moment |
| Totality ends | 18:28 | a bright edge returns |
| Umbral phase ends | 19:36 | Moon full again, just slightly grey |
| Penumbral phase ends | 20:40 | eclipse over |
Moonrise and Moon altitude in 15 cities
| City | Moonrise (CET) | Altitude at 17:16 | Altitude at 17:52 | Altitude at 18:28 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiel | 15:50 | 9° | 13° | 18° |
| Rostock | 15:43 | 10° | 15° | 19° |
| Hamburg | 15:56 | 9° | 13° | 18° |
| Bremen | 16:04 | 8° | 12° | 17° |
| Hannover | 16:04 | 8° | 13° | 18° |
| Berlin | 15:48 | 10° | 15° | 20° |
| Leipzig | 15:59 | 9° | 14° | 19° |
| Dresden | 15:55 | 10° | 14° | 20° |
| Düsseldorf | 16:23 | 6° | 10° | 15° |
| Köln | 16:24 | 6° | 10° | 16° |
| Frankfurt am Main | 16:21 | 6° | 11° | 16° |
| Nürnberg | 16:14 | 7° | 12° | 18° |
| Stuttgart | 16:25 | 6° | 11° | 16° |
| München | 16:18 | 7° | 12° | 18° |
| Freiburg im Breisgau | 16:35 | 5° | 10° | 15° |
Altitude above the geometric horizon, without mountains or buildings. In eastern Germany the Moon rises earlier and climbs higher; in the west and south-west it rises after the umbral phase begins. Totality takes place entirely above the horizon everywhere.
The Moon rises in the north-east and is only 5 to 20 degrees high during totality, roughly two hand widths above the horizon. Scout a spot in daylight with a clear view east and north-east: a field edge, a dyke, a hill or an upper floor. A row of houses can hide the red Moon completely.
Blue moon 2028: the New Year’s Eve full moon
December 2028 has two full moons: on 2 December at 02:40 CET and on 31 December at 17:48 CET. Under the widely used calendar definition, the second full moon in a month is a “blue moon”. The New Year’s Eve blood moon is therefore also a blue moon. It will not look blue; the name echoes “once in a blue moon”, meaning very rarely. Find all 13 full moons of the year, with times, supermoons and the date of Easter, in the 2028 full moon dates.
There is also an older, seasonal definition: the third of four full moons in an astronomical season. By this definition, 2028 has no blue moon, as each season has exactly three full moons. Seasonal blue moons fall on 20 May 2027 and 24 August 2029. The next calendar blue moon after New Year’s Eve 2028 is on 30 September 2031.
Whether a full moon is the second in a month depends on your time zone. In East Asia and Australia, the full moon of 31 December 2028 falls on 1 January 2029, so it is not a blue moon there.
Partial lunar eclipse on 12 January 2028
On Wednesday morning, the southern edge of the full moon just grazes the northern edge of Earth’s umbra. At maximum, at 05:13 CET, roughly one fifteenth of the Moon’s diameter lies in shadow. To the naked eye it looks like a dark dent in the Moon’s edge; binoculars show the curved shadow much more clearly. Across Germany, the Moon is 26 to 30 degrees high in the west and the sky is still completely dark.
| Phase | Time (CET) |
|---|---|
| Penumbral phase begins | 03:08 |
| Umbral phase begins | 04:45 |
| Maximum | 05:13 |
| Umbral phase ends | 05:41 |
| Penumbral phase ends | 07:18 |
Lunar eclipse on 6 July 2028: missed in Germany
The year’s second partial eclipse is much deeper, with a magnitude of 0.39, but takes place in the early evening (umbral phase from 19:09 to 21:30 CEST). The July full moon stays low in the south and rises between 21:16 (München) and 21:50 (Hamburg). Only in the south-east (including München, Nürnberg and Dresden), with a very clear view south-east, are there 3 to 12 minutes before 21:30, close to the horizon in bright twilight. After that, only the penumbral phase remains until 22:55, too subtle to notice with the naked eye. The whole eclipse is visible across much of Asia and Australia.
All lunar eclipses from 2027 to 2029: visibility in Germany
| Date | Type | Maximum | From Germany |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20./21.2.2027 | Penumbral (0.93) | 00:13 CET | visible throughout, Moon 40–50° high, but subtle |
| 18 July 2027 | Penumbral (extremely faint) | 18:03 CEST | not visible |
| 17 Aug 2027 | Penumbral | 09:14 CEST | not visible |
| 12 Jan 2028 | partial (0.07) | 05:13 CET | visible throughout |
| 6 July 2028 | partial (0.39) | 20:20 CEST | practically invisible |
| 31 Dec 2028 | total (1.25) | 17:52 CET | totality visible throughout |
| 26 June 2029 | total (1.84) | 05:22 CEST | only the start of totality, low in the south-west at dawn |
| 20./21.12.2029 | total (1.12) | 23:42 CET | visible throughout, Moon roughly 60° high |
If New Year’s Eve 2028 leaves you wanting more, the total eclipse on 20 December 2029 takes place in the middle of the night, with the Moon almost overhead. All lunar eclipses in 2027 are penumbral; for more on that year’s eclipses, see the solar eclipse on 2 August 2027.
Why the Moon turns red during a total eclipse
No direct sunlight reaches the Moon inside Earth’s umbra. Earth’s atmosphere bends light into the shadow, but the long journey through the air scatters away the blue light, just as it does at sunset. Reddish light remains. The blood moon’s brightness and colour depend on the atmosphere: lunar eclipses are often very dark after major volcanic eruptions and more orange in clear years. Astronomers rate them on the Danjon scale from 0 (almost invisible) to 4 (bright copper-red); anyone can do this with the naked eye.
How to watch the lunar eclipse
- You do not need protective glasses. You are looking at the Moon, which becomes darker during the eclipse, and can safely watch it for hours.
- Binoculars show the colour and shadow edge best; a telescope is not necessary.
- For photos, use a tripod and a focal length of about 200 mm or more. The Moon becomes many times darker during totality, so keep adjusting the exposure and focus manually. On New Year’s Eve 2028, the low Moon will work well above a skyline or church tower.
- If clouds intervene, try an observatory livestream; the times above apply simultaneously worldwide.
Astrology: eclipses on the Cancer–Capricorn axis
Two of the three lunar eclipses in 2028 fall in Cancer (12 Jan at just over 21°, 31 Dec at just under 11°); the eclipse on 6 July falls in Capricorn. In Western astrology, lunar eclipses amplify the full moon: home, family and feelings (Cancer) meet career, responsibility and structure (Capricorn). Those who follow the moon calendar often use eclipse full moons to bring things to a close rather than begin something new.
Related: Full moon dates 2028, Full moon dates 2027, New moon dates 2027, New moon dates 2028, Solar eclipse 2027 in Germany and Central Europe, Solar eclipse 2028 in Germany and Central Europe, Solar eclipses 2029 and 2030, Meteor showers 2027, Today’s moon phase, Moon calendar 2028 for gardening and haircuts, Subscribe to moon phases in your calendar.
Printable moon calendar 2027 (€9.90, PDF for A4, A5 and tablet): every new and full moon in 2027 timed to the minute, the moon sign for each day, and the 2027 eclipses, including the penumbral eclipse on 21 February.
Find out more →More on Cosmolytic: the full moon in astrology, the lunar nodes every eclipse depends on, and the two signs of the 2028 eclipse axis, Cancer and Capricorn.
Frequently asked questions
When are the 2028 lunar eclipses visible in Germany and Central Europe?
On Wednesday morning, 12 January 2028, a small partial eclipse is visible (umbral phase 04:45 to 05:41 CET). On Sunday, 31 December 2028, a total lunar eclipse brings a blood moon from 17:16 to 18:28 CET. The partial eclipse on 6 July 2028 is practically invisible in Germany.
Is the New Year’s Eve 2028 blood moon visible throughout Germany?
Yes. The Moon rises in the north-east between 15:43 (Rostock) and 16:35 (Freiburg). Totality from 17:16 to 18:28 CET takes place entirely above the horizon everywhere. The Moon is only 5 to 20 degrees high, so you need a clear view east.
When is the blue moon in 2028?
On 31 December 2028 at 17:48 CET, as December’s second full moon after 2 December. It coincides with the total lunar eclipse. Under the seasonal definition (the third of four full moons in a season), there is no blue moon in 2028.
What is a blood moon?
It is the full moon during a total lunar eclipse. Rather than disappearing in Earth’s shadow, it glows copper- to brick-red because Earth’s atmosphere bends red sunlight into the shadow.
Do I need protective glasses for a lunar eclipse?
No. You can safely watch a lunar eclipse with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. ISO 12312-2 eclipse glasses are needed only for solar eclipses.
When is the next lunar eclipse visible in Germany and Central Europe?
On the night of 20–21 February 2027, with maximum at 00:13 CET. This is a penumbral eclipse, in which the Moon only looks a little greyer. The next partial eclipse follows on 12 January 2028, and the next blood moon on New Year’s Eve 2028.
Sources
- NASA Eclipse Website: Lunar Eclipses 2021–2030
- NASA/GSFC: Total lunar eclipse, 31 Dec 2028 (contact times, PDF)
- NASA/GSFC: Partial lunar eclipse, 12 Jan 2028 (PDF)
- NASA/GSFC: Partial lunar eclipse, 6 July 2028 (PDF)
- Astro Corner: Lunar eclipse, 31 Dec 2028, with moonrise times (cross-check)
- Sterngucker: Lunar eclipses to 2032 (cross-check)
- timeanddate.de: Total lunar eclipse, 31 Dec 2028
Responsible: Maximilian Stroh, Anonyfox e. K., Hamburg