Finally: a lunar eclipse in Montréal at a reasonable time and temperature

On Thursday, August 27th, Montréal will see a partial lunar eclipse. Starting at 10:33 PM, peaking at 12:12 AM, and ending at 1:51 AM, the Moon will go into the Earth's shadow and turn red.

Montréal has seen a few lunar eclipses over the years. What's different about this one? How convenient the time is to see it. Let's play back the clock and see when was the last time you could step out on a warm night and see a lunar eclipse in Montréal...

March 3, 2026

Started at 4:50 AM and it was cold. By the time maximum eclipse happened, the Moon was setting on the Western horizon. I didn't go outside to see it (and can't even remember if it was cloudy or not).

March 14, 2025

Started at 1:09 AM. It was chilly, but I carefully went outside our house without waking our 6-month-old baby. It was clear, but alas, at an inconvenient time. Yet I was surprised how many people watched my Instagram live stream at 2:00 AM.

September 17, 2024

Started at 10:12 PM. A convenient time and warm weather, but from Montréal, this partial lunar eclipse only put barely the top lip of the Moon in shadow. Not worth too much attention. Also, my baby was born just 7 days before this, so I was barely alive.

November 8, 2022

Started at 4:09 AM. Chilly, but I collab'd with Samer from Zenderfull to do an event at Jeanne Mance Park. Miraculously, it was clear and quite a few people showed up! Peak of the eclipse was at 6:00 AM, and by that time the sky was getting bright and the Moon was setting in the western horizon.

May 15, 2022

Started at 10:27 PM. This is actually not too far off from the time the August 27, 2026 eclipse starts, but middle of May is still pretty chilly in Montréal. I collab'd with Samer from Zenderfull to put on an event and a great crowd turned up! Unfortunately, it was cloudy much of the eclipse.

November 19, 2021

Started at 2:18 AM. This was cold and cloudy! I went out alone to Jeanne-Mance Park and live streamed the eclipse, yammering aloud to my laptop in the park. Stay hungry. Stay foolish. Trevor of 2026 would not be so bold.

January 20, 2019

Started at 10:34 PM. This was early days of Plateau Astro, and I was naive enough to think people would turn out for this eclipse. It was -30° C and cloudy. I ended up cancelling the event.

January 31, 2018

Started at 6:48 AM. This was before Plateau Astro became an official thing, and I don't even recall this eclipse. It happened early in the morning as the Moon was setting in the West at 7:15 AM. 

September 27, 2015

Here it is! The last time in Montréal we had a lunar eclipse while it was warm and at a reasonable hour. The eclipse started at 9:07 PM and maximum eclipse at 10:47 PM.

I had been doing free Moonrise events at Belvédère Kondiaronk / Chalet du Mont Royal for two years by this point. I went up with friends to overlook downtown and there was a surprising number of people up top. As the eclipse started and the Moon went more and more into Earth's shadow, more people appeared until the lookout was quite full. At maximum eclipse, somebody started clapping and cheering, and then the whole crowd followed suit. It was a beautiful warm moment.

I have one grainy photo of that night.

My recollection is that it was a warm night. In the distance, you can see some people in short sleeves and shirts, but my friends in the foreground are wearing their jackets. Was it cooler than I remembered?

Regardless, it's been a long while since Montréal has had a warm, summertime lunar eclipse at a reasonable hour. Skies, don't let us down.