Look Up: A Lunar Eclipse Is Coming to Banchory

If you’re willing to set an early alarm this Friday, there could be something rather special to see in the skies above Banchory.

In the early hours of Friday 28 August, a lunar eclipse will be visible from Scotland — and Banchory should be well placed to see it, providing the clouds stay away.

This isn’t quite a total lunar eclipse, but it’s going to come very close. At its peak, almost all of the Moon will be inside the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow, leaving only a small section illuminated.

That means we could see the Moon become dramatically darker, with parts of it potentially taking on the deep copper or reddish colour normally associated with a “blood moon”.

What time can we see it from Banchory?

You’re going to need an early start.

The most interesting part of the eclipse begins at around 4.12am, with the eclipse reaching its maximum at approximately 5.12am.

By then, the Moon will be fairly low in the western to west-south-western sky, so the best viewing spots will be somewhere with a clear view towards the western horizon.

The sky will also begin to brighten as we head towards sunrise, making the hour around the maximum eclipse the one we’d be aiming for.

Where could you watch it?

Banchory has no shortage of places with big skies, although finding a clear western horizon will be important.

Open areas around the town and viewpoints away from trees and buildings should give you the best chance. And, if conditions are right, seeing an eclipsed Moon above the Deeside landscape could be pretty spectacular.

If you’re heading out in the dark, remember that paths and countryside locations can look very different at 4am than they do during the day. Take a torch, wrap up and choose somewhere you know is safe and accessible.

Will the weather cooperate?

That is the big question.

At the moment, the forecast for Friday isn’t exactly perfect, with cloud and showers possible around Banchory.

But Scottish weather has a habit of doing its own thing.

We don’t need completely clear skies all morning. A well-timed break in the clouds around the peak of the eclipse could be enough to see it.

So we’ll be keeping a close eye on the forecast as Friday gets closer.

And yes, we’re going to try…

Weather permitting, Discover Banchory will be heading out with the camera.

We’d love to capture the eclipse over Banchory or the surrounding Deeside landscape — although at that time in the morning, we’re making absolutely no promises about how awake the person behind the camera will be.

If you’re up early too, have a look towards the western sky.

And if you manage to capture the eclipse from Banchory, we’d love to see your photos.