Madrid is looking up at the sky once again, just a few weeks after the August solar eclipse. In the early morning hours of Friday, August 28, a partial lunar eclipse will occur that can be viewed from all over Spain, although in the Community of Madrid, you’ll need to get up early and choose your viewing spot carefully: the Moon will be very low on the western horizon when it reaches its most spectacular moment.
A good option for viewing it is Santa María de la Alameda, in the Sierra Oeste. The town has an elevated, open spot, Las Eras de Navalespino, which was chosen as the official observatory during the solar eclipse on August 12. Its location in a mountainous setting, far from the light pollution of the capital, makes it an interesting option for finding a clear horizon before sunrise.
An eclipse that will hide almost the entire Moon
The phenomenon will be partial, but it will be unusually intense: the Earth’s darkest shadow will cover nearly 93% of the Moon’s diameter. The Moon will not disappear completely, though much of its surface will darken and may take on reddish or coppery hues.
The penumbral phase—the hardest to see—will begin at 3:23 a.m. The truly visible spectacle will begin at 4:33 a.m., when the Moon enters the Earth’s umbra, the darkest part of the shadow. The peak will occur at 6:12 a.m., just an hour and a half before sunrise.
In Madrid, the Moon will set at approximately 7:46 a.m., before the partial phase ends at 7:51 a.m. That’s why it’s so important to find a spot with a clear view of the western and southwestern horizon: a hillside, trees, or buildings could cause the Moon to disappear prematurely.
Las Eras de Navalespino
Las Eras de Navalespino is one of the designated observation points in the town of Santa María de la Alameda for viewing astronomical phenomena . During the solar eclipse in August, the site was included among the official observation points for the Community of Madrid, with an estimated capacity of 200 people.
Although that event was organized for a solar eclipse and hasn’t been repeated for this weekend’s eclipse, the location still offers the ideal conditions for a night of stargazing: elevation, a rural setting, and an unobstructed view that allows you to escape the lights and noise of Madrid.
Before heading out, it’s advisable to check the exact orientation of the spot and confirm that the west-southwest horizon isn’t obstructed by vegetation or terrain. For a lunar eclipse like this one, the specific location matters more than choosing a particular town: the phenomenon will be virtually the same throughout the region, but it will only be fully visible from a spot with good visibility.
For those who cannot travel to the Sierra Oeste, any park, rooftop, or lookout point with an unobstructed panoramic view toward the west-southwest will do. The key is to stay away from tall buildings, trees, and mountain ranges that might block the Moon as it sits close to the horizon.