Total Lunar Eclipse Broadcast and Public Viewing, May 15, 2022
Live online broadcast and public viewing from Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, CA | May 15, 2022
On the evening of May 15, there will be a total lunar eclipse visible from Los Angeles.
Griffith Observatory is hosting an online broadcast of the total lunar eclipse on May 15, 2022, from 7:35 p.m. – 11:50 p.m., PDT, weather permitting. The Observatory will also be open to the public that evening for onsite public viewing. Both the Observatory and Griffith Park will close, as usual, at 10:00 p.m.
If you do visit the Observatory, expect very large crowds, with limited parking and congested roads. Parking nearest the Observatory has an hourly fee; free parking is available near the Greek Theatre. The DASH Observatory/Los Feliz bus will be running from the Vermont/Sunset Metro Red Line station. Both visitor vaccination verification and masks are required to enter the Observatory building, but not to observe from the lawn. No lawn chairs, coolers, or other large items will be permitted on the lawn or terraces. For more information, see the Getting Here page on our website.
OBSERVING NOTE: If skies are clear, the eclipse should be visible to the unaided eye from anywhere in the continental United States. It is safe to view a lunar eclipse without any eye protection. You do not need a telescope to see a lunar eclipse. Just go outside and look up to the southeast after the Moon rises (7:41 p.m.). The appearance of the Moon changes dramatically during the course of an eclipse, and it is worth viewing on multiple occasions during the evening.
A time-lapse version of the lunar eclipse feed should be available from Griffith Observatory’s YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/GriffithObservatory) at 4:00 a.m., PDT, on May 16.
Total Lunar Eclipse
Event/Eclipse Timeline (All Times in PDT)
| 6:32 p.m. | Penumbral eclipse begins – *(Moon below horizon in Los Angeles) |
| 7:28 p.m. | Umbral eclipse begins – *(Moon below horizon in Los Angeles) |
| 7:35 p.m. | Online broadcast begins |
| 7:41 p.m. | Moonrise |
| 8:29 p.m. | Total eclipse begins |
| 9:11 p.m. | Greatest Eclipse |
| 9:54 p.m. | Total eclipse ends |
| 10:55 p.m. | Umbral eclipse ends |
| 11:50 p.m. | Online Broadcast Ends |
| 11:51 p.m. | Penumbral eclipse ends |
What is a Total Lunar Eclipse?
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly into the dark inner shadow, or umbra, cast by the Earth. On May 15, one hundred percent of the round disk of the full Moon slowly moves into the dark shadow, and the bright Moon grows dim. The Moon does not, however, become completely dark. Instead, it usually glows with a copper or red color, a result of sunlight being filtered and bent through the Earth’s atmosphere (much like a sunset).
The lunar eclipse is visible throughout southern California and may be seen easily with the unaided eye, though telescopes or binoculars may enhance the view.
The next total lunar eclipse visible in Los Angeles will occur on November 8, 2022
To learn more about eclipses, please visit our eclipse info page
Advice for Viewing
If skies are clear, the eclipse will be visible to the unaided eye from anywhere in continental United States. It is safe to view a lunar eclipse without any eye protection. You do not need a telescope to see a lunar eclipse. Just go outside and look up to the southeast.