how long does a lunar eclipse last

A full lunar eclipse event lasts several hours from start to finish, but the darkest “total” phase usually lasts under two hours.

Quick Scoop: How long does a lunar eclipse last?

• The entire eclipse (from first faint shadow to the end) can last roughly 3–6 hours in total, depending on geometry and eclipse type.

• The totality phase (when the Moon is fully in Earth’s dark umbra and often looks red) can last up to about 1 hour 45 minutes , though many total eclipses are closer to 30–60 minutes of totality.

• A recent example: one total lunar eclipse had a total event duration of 5 hours 39 minutes , with 58 minutes of totality.

So if you go out to watch one, you usually have a generous multi‑hour window, but the most dramatic “blood Moon” part is typically around an hour or less.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.