TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Earth will pass between the moon and the sun late Thursday night into Friday morning, creating a partial lunar eclipse, which will mostly be visible across the entire Tampa Bay.
Two Shadows
Phases of a lunar eclipse include two shadows, the inner shadow and outer shadow, but only one makes it pretty cool to see.
The outer shadow (penumbra) created by Earth will begin to cover the moon first, and really only faintly dims the moon’s brightness. If you didn’t know an eclipse was occurring, this phase is hardly noticeable.
Earth’s inner shadow (umbra) is much darker, and this is where the moon looks ‘eclipsed’.
Timing
9:25 p.m. Thursday: The outer (penumbra) shadow begins to cover the moon. This is hardly noticeable.
10:35 p.m. Thursday: Partial eclipse begins. The darker inner shadow will begin to cover the moon. The shadow will gradually overtake most of the moon within the next two hours.
12:14 a.m. Friday: The moon will be 96% covered by Earth’s shadow. It will appear dark, with only a small sliver still bright. After this, the shadow will begin to recede, and the moon will get brighter.
1:53 a.m. Friday: Partial eclipse ends. The dark inner shadow will be completely gone from the moon, and it will only appear slightly dimmer than normal.
3:02 a.m. Friday: The outer shadow no longer covers the moon. The moon has full brightness again.
We want to see your photos and videos of the lunar eclipse! Viewers can send them through Report-It.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.