A dramatic partial lunar eclipse will happen on Aug. 27-28, with virtually the whole moon slipping into Earth’s shadow.
At its peak, at 12:12 a.m. EDT (0412 GMT) on Aug. 28, 96.2% of the lunar floor shall be coated by Earth’s darkish umbral shadow, leaving solely a slender portion of the moon straight illuminated by the solar. The remainder of the lunar floor could take on an eerie reddish-orange hue, creating a powerful ‘virtually blood moon’.
The eclipse will be visible from North and South America, Europe and Africa, although precisely how a lot you may see will rely on your location (and clouds!). You can observe together with all the motion with our lunar eclipse live blog.
Lunar eclipse timings
- The eclipse begins when the moon enters Earth’s faint outer shadow at 9:23 p.m. EDT on Aug. 27 (0123 GMT on Aug. 28).
- Things get far more attention-grabbing at 10:33 p.m. EDT (0233 GMT), when the partial eclipse begins and Earth’s darkish umbral shadow begins to creep throughout the lunar floor.
- Maximum eclipse happens at 12:12 a.m. EDT (0412 GMT) on Aug. 28, when 96.2% of the moon shall be immersed in Earth’s umbra.
- The partial part ends at 1:51 a.m. EDT (0551 GMT), with the penumbral eclipse concluding at 3:01 a.m. EDT (0701 GMT).
North and South America are particularly well-placed for the entire eclipse.
For European skywatchers, the eclipse takes place during the early morning of Aug. 28, with the moon setting while the partial eclipse is still underway. From London, maximum eclipse occurs at 5:12 a.m. BST, just over an hour before moonset.
How to view the lunar eclipse
Unlike a solar eclipse, you don’t need any special equipment to view a lunar eclipse. Simply head outside and look up. If you own binoculars or a telescope, take a look through them for an even better view of Earth’s shadow sweeping across the lunar surface.
If you’re interested in trying to capture an impressive photograph of the lunar eclipse, check out our expert’s guide on how to photograph a lunar eclipse, together with a roundup of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s Note: If you seize a photograph of the August lunar eclipse and need to share it with Space.com’s readers, then please ship your picture(s), feedback, identify and placement to spacephotos@house.com.