Earth’s shadow will swallow 96% of the lunar surface overnight on Aug. 27-28, potentially turning the moon a gorgeous shade of crimson as it bathes in light filtered and refracted by our planet’s atmosphere.
The partial lunar eclipse will occur as Earth passes between the sun and moon during the monthly full moon phase. Around this time, Earth’s curved inner shadow will appear to creep across the lunar surface while leaving a thin crescent exposed to direct sunlight at the point of maximum eclipse.
But who will actually get to see it? As usual, it’s all a matter of location.
Where is the August 2026 partial lunar eclipse visible?
The Aug. 27-28 partial lunar eclipse will be visible to roughly 3.3 billion people spread across North America, South America and parts of Europe and Africa. Each phase will occur simultaneously for everyone watching from Earth, through the local timings for each eclipse phase will vary depending on your location.
For stargazers on the West Coast of America in cities like Los Angeles, California and Portland, Oregon, the point of maximum eclipse will arrive just a few hours after sunset. While anyone watching from East Coast cities including New York and Jacksonville will see the lunar spectacle peak around midnight local time.
For the United Kingdom, Europe and Africa, the eclipse will be an early morning affair, occurring shortly before sunrise as the moon arcs low towards the western horizon. You can check the exact timings and altitude of the moon during key phases of the Aug. 27-28 eclipse on TimeandDate.com.
The full extent of a partial lunar eclipse can be enjoyed by anyone who happens to be on the night side of Earth at the time that it occurs. You also won’t need safety glasses or specialized equipment to view a lunar eclipse. It’ll look magnificent to the naked eye, though binoculars, or even a telescope can heighten the experience by granting a magnified view of the moon as Earth’s shadow slowly marches across its cratered surface!
Sadly, the moon will be out of sight below the horizon for anyone on the day side of Earth as the eclipse unfolds, making it impossible to view with the naked eye from a host of countries including Australia, India, China and Japan to name but a few.
But we’ve got you covered.
Space.com will be sharing details on how to watch the partial lunar eclipse live online closer to the time, along with all the latest news via our live blog. Why not also read up our expert tips on how to photograph the moon using a DSLR or mirrorless camera to ensure that you’re ready to immortalize the deepest lunar eclipse until New Years Eve 2028-2029?
Editor’s Note: If you capture a photo of the partial lunar eclipse and want to share it with Space.com’s readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
