Near-Total Lunar Eclipse To Darken Skies Thursday: Griffith Observatory Plans Viewing, Livestream

LOS ANGELES, CA — A partial lunar eclipse that will come close to totality will be visible across Los Angeles and Southern California on Thursday night, with the moon expected to be 96% covered by Earth's shadow at the eclipse's peak.

Griffith Observatory will host public viewing of the eclipse from 7:25 to 11 p.m., weather permitting. The observatory will also livestream the eclipse from 7:25 p.m. Thursday until 12:05 a.m. Friday.

The eclipse will reach its greatest point at 9:13 p.m., when 96% of the moon will be in shadow, according to Griffith Observatory.

The observatory building will close at its usual 10 p.m. time, but the grounds will remain open until 11 p.m. Restrooms on the grounds will also remain accessible until then.

Parking, Transportation

Officials warned visitors to expect large crowds, limited parking and significant traffic congestion. A Greek Theatre show is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, making parking around Griffith Park especially difficult.

Parking near the observatory requires an hourly fee. The DASH Observatory/Los Feliz bus will operate from the Vermont/Sunset Metro station, with the final bus scheduled to leave the observatory at 11 p.m.

Lawn chairs, coolers, tripods and other large items will not be allowed on the observatory lawn or terraces.

Other Viewing Options

People do not need to visit Griffith Observatory to see the eclipse. If skies are clear, it should be visible without a telescope from anywhere in Southern California by looking toward the southeast.

Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is safe to watch without protective eyewear.

The penumbral phase begins at 6:24 p.m., while the moon is still below the horizon. Moonrise is expected at 7:18 p.m., followed by the start of the darker umbral phase at 7:34 p.m.

The eclipse should become clearly visible from the observatory lawn around 8:15 p.m. It will peak at 9:13 p.m., with the umbral phase ending at 10:52 p.m.

The penumbral eclipse will end at 12:02 a.m. Friday, three minutes before the observatory's livestream is scheduled to conclude.

A time-lapse version of Griffith Observatory's eclipse feed is expected to be posted on its YouTube channel at 8 a.m. Friday.

More information is available on the Griffith Observatory website.