Full Breakdown
Near-Total Partial Lunar Eclipse Lights Up the Americas on Aug. 27-28, 2026
8/27/2026, 11:38:51 AM
Core Event
On the night of August 27 2026, the Moon will pass through Earth’s shadow in a deep partial lunar eclipse. The penumbral phase begins at 9:23 p.m. ET, the umbral (partial) phase starts at 10:33 p.m. ET, and the eclipse reaches its maximum shortly after midnight, when roughly 96 percent of the lunar surface lies in Earth’s darkest shadow. The eclipse ends when the Moon exits the penumbra at 3:01 a.m. ET on August 28 2026. At maximum, the Moon is expected to display a copper-red hue, a result of sunlight filtered through Earth’s atmosphere.
Background & Context
This eclipse follows a total solar eclipse that occurred two weeks earlier over parts of Europe, Greenland and Iceland. The pairing is typical of eclipse seasons, when the Sun-Moon-Earth geometry first produces a solar eclipse at new moon and then a lunar eclipse at full moon. The lunar event coincides with the “Sturgeon Moon,” the traditional name for the August full moon.
Data & Statistics
- Coverage: NASA reports 96 percent of the Moon’s surface in the umbra at peak.
- Timing (ET): Penumbral start 9:23 p.m.; partial start 10:33 p.m.; maximum ? 12:12 a.m.; partial end 1:52 a.m.; penumbral end 3:01 a.m.
- Geographic reach: Visible across most of North and South America, Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia and Australia. Over 3 billion people (?44 percent of the world’s population) will see at least part of the event, with nearly 1 billion in the United States, Canada, and Central and South America experiencing the full sequence.
Official Statements & Responses
NASA describes the eclipse as “near-total” and explains that the reddish color arises because Earth’s atmosphere scatters short-wavelength (blue) light while allowing longer-wavelength (red, orange) light to reach the Moon. NOAA issued a G2 geomagnetic storm watch, noting that a coronal mass ejection could produce auroras over northern Canada, the northern United States, and the central Prairies. Reduced lunar brightness may improve aurora visibility.
On-the-Ground Reports
Local forecasts vary. WMBF (South Carolina) highlighted a chance of pop-up storms but expected breaks in cloud cover after 7 p.m. WRAL (North Carolina) noted a cold front bringing showers that could limit visibility in the tri-state area. Fox 10 TV (Alabama) projected about 60 percent cloud cover along the Gulf Coast with intermittent breaks. The Weather Network said the geomagnetic storm could be “minor” (G1) but noted the possibility of stronger substorm activity pushing auroras farther south.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the exact percentage of lunar coverage at maximum: NASA (96 percent) versus other outlets (96.3 percent or 93 percent of the Moon’s diameter). Peak timing also varies by a few minutes, with reports of 12:12 a.m., 12:13 a.m., and 12:12:53 a.m. ET. Weather forecasts are not uniform; while Weather.com expects mostly clear skies in the West, regional outlets such as WMBF and WRAL anticipate cloud-related interruptions in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. No definitive cloud-cover model is available for the exact viewing window.
