What to expect from each stage of the partial lunar eclipse on Aug. 27-28

The partial lunar eclipse occurring on August 27-28, 2026, is the closing act of a dramatic two-part celestial show that began with a total solar eclipse on August 12. Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses offer a unique opportunity for everyone on the night side of Earth to witness the stages simultaneously, as each unfolds at the same time across the planet.

However, the local time for each stage varies depending on your location. Viewing a lunar eclipse is completely safe, whether you observe it with the naked eye or through binoculars or a telescope, which can provide a magnified view of the moon as Earth's shadow sweeps across its surface.

The eclipse consists of five distinct stages:

1. Stage 1: The penumbral shadow of Earth begins to cover the moon at 9:23 p.m. EDT on August 27 (0123 GMT on August 28), though the darkening of the lunar disk is subtle and most noticeable in the moments before Earth's inner shadow appears.

2. Stage 2: The partial phase of the lunar eclipse begins at 10:33 EDT on August 27 (0233 GMT on August 28), as Earth's inner umbra starts to bite into the moon, first appearing as a small semicircle near Oceanus Procellarum (the Ocean of Storms) and Mare Humorum on the moon's southwestern edge.

3. Stage 3: The eclipse reaches its maximum at 12:12 a.m. EDT on August 28 (0412 GMT on August 28), with 96% of the lunar disk obscured by Earth's umbra, leaving a crescent of the moon exposed to direct sunlight near its northern limb. During this stage, the moon may appear with a subtle red hue, as sunlight filtered through Earth's atmosphere is refracted onto its surface.

4. Stage 4: Earth's inner shadow gradually retreats from the moon, with the last vestiges of the crimson hue fading as the crescent of the lunar disk exposed to direct sunlight grows. The umbral shadow will depart the lunar surface at 1:51 a.m. EDT on August 28 (0551 GMT on August 28).

5. Stage 5: Earth's outer penumbral shadow leaves the Sturgeon Moon at 3:01 a.m. EDT on August 28 (0701 GMT on August 28), marking the end of the eclipse.