Partial lunar eclipse of 28 August 2026

Where and when to see it

A lunar eclipse is seen from wherever the Moon is above the horizon at the time: the Americas, Europe, Africa. No path, no special place; step outside and look at the full Moon.

Stage	UTC	Your time
Partial eclipse begins	02:33	02:33 UTC
Greatest eclipse	04:12	04:12 UTC
Partial eclipse ends	05:51	05:51 UTC

Times are the same for everyone; only the clock on the wall differs. Before and after these, the Moon passes through Earth's faint outer shadow, which dims it too little to notice.

What is happening

The Earth passes between the Sun and the full Moon, and its shadow falls across the Moon. Its dark inner part, the umbra, is about three times as wide as the Moon.

This time the Moon only passes through part of it: at most 93% of its width goes dark. The shadowed part looks grey to dusky red against the bright rest of the Moon, and the curve of its edge is the Earth's own round shadow.

How to watch it

• It is completely safe to look at with your eyes, binoculars or a telescope. You are only looking at the Moon.
• Binoculars show the colour and the shadow's edge best. A phone on a tripod or wall can catch it with a few seconds' exposure.
• Cloud is the only thing that can spoil it, so check the forecast and have a second place in mind.

See it in 3D

The Earth’s shadow taking a bite out of the Moon on the night, drawn by our 3D viewer from the real positions of the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. Press play to load it here, then play, pause and scrub through the eclipse, or open it in the full viewer.

Load the eclipse in 3D

Open this eclipse in the 3D viewer →

Get a reminder

We email you a day or two before, with the time. Leave your email once and we send a code to confirm it; nothing else arrives unless you ask for it.

Questions

What time is the lunar eclipse on 28 August 2026?

Greatest eclipse is at 04:12 UTC. The partial phases run from about 02:33 to 05:51 UTC. The table on this page shows them in your own time.

Where can I see it?

From anywhere the Moon is up at the time: the Americas, Europe, Africa.

Is it safe to look at a lunar eclipse?

Yes. It is only the Moon in the Earth's shadow, safe to the eye, through binoculars and through a telescope.

Will the Moon turn red?

Only the part in the shadow, and only faintly: grey to dusky red. A deep red Moon needs a total eclipse.

When is the next lunar eclipse?

Partial lunar eclipse, 12 January 2028. The next total lunar eclipse is 31 December 2028.

More in the sky

Every eclipse, meteor shower and planet at opposition, or the whole calendar. Tonight's planets are on what is visible tonight.

Sources

• NASA Eclipse Web Site: lunar eclipses 2021 to 2030
• NASA: diagram and contact times for this eclipse (PDF)
• Wikipedia: this lunar eclipse
• The times and positions on this page come from our own sky calendar, built on the sources above, the same one the 3D viewer runs on.