After delivering a total solar eclipse and pristine dark skies for the Perseid meteor shower, August closes a packed stargazing month with a spectacular near-total lunar eclipse.
From August 27 to the early morning hours of August 28, Earth’s shadow will slowly cover 96 percent of the full Sturgeon moon. This will turn the lunar surface a deep, coppery red color.
It is our last opportunity to view an “almost blood moon” for over two years, so you will definitely want to look up!
When the moon changes color
The celestial event unfolds across the night sky, with the most dramatic changes happening around midnight. Here is the exact timeline for New Yorkers:
- 9:23 p.m. ET: The eclipse officially begins.
- 10:33 p.m. ET: The partial phase starts, and Earth’s dark inner shadow (the umbra) begins transforming the moon’s color.
- 12:12 a.m. ET: The eclipse reaches maximum coverage, as confirmed by the Captura de pantalla 2026-08-14 102931.png tracker.
- 1:52 a.m. ET: The partial phase concludes.
- 3:01 a.m. ET: The entire event wraps up.
While this eclipse favors the Americas with the moon positioned high in the night sky, viewers across Western Europe and West Africa will also witness the peak low along the horizon right before dawn.
The science behind the glow
A partial lunar eclipse occurs when Earth passes directly between the sun and the full moon. Usually, only part of the lunar surface enters the darkest portion of Earth’s shadow.
During this especially deep eclipse, nearly the entire moon will slip into that shadow. It will leave only a thin, bright white sliver untouched.
As sunlight passes through the edges of Earth’s atmosphere, shorter blue wavelengths scatter away. The atmosphere then bends the remaining red and orange light towards the moon.
This filtered light creates a stunning coppery glow—the exact same atmospheric effect that produces vivid sunrises and sunsets on our planet!
How to watch the partial lunar eclipse
Unlike the solar eclipse earlier this year, no special glasses or filters will be necessary to safely view this near-total lunar eclipse. Stargazers can observe the ruddy hue with the naked eye.
If you have binoculars or a small telescope, they will highlight the sharp, bright contrast along the crescent rim of the moon that remains just outside Earth’s umbra.
The next, more dramatic lunar eclipse arrives on December 31, 2028. However, most of North America will have to wait until the night of June 25 to 26, 2029, for its next widespread total lunar eclipse.