96% Lunar Eclipse: Best Until 2028

A near-total partial lunar eclipse on Aug 27-28 will cover 96% of the moon in Earth's shadow.

On the night of August 27–28, 2026, a partial lunar eclipse will sweep across the Americas, and according to multiple outlets it will be far deeper than the word "partial" suggests. AP News reports that the Americas are in "prime position" for the event. Space.com states that Earth's shadow will swallow roughly 96% of the lunar surface, while NBC Chicago cites NASA saying nearly 96% of the moon's surface will be covered in shadow. ABC News describes it as capping off a month that already delivered a planet parade, a solar eclipse, and the Perseids meteor shower. The eclipse occurs when Earth moves between the Sun and the full moon, casting its curved shadow across the lunar disc and leaving only a thin crescent of direct sunlight at maximum coverage.

Partial lunar eclipses typically cover only 20% or 50% of the moon, making a 96% event exceptionally rare in its depth. Cowboy State Daily quotes retired Wyoming State Climatologist Jan Curtis saying, "If we have to have a partial eclipse, this is the kind I'd like to see," noting that it will almost behave like a total eclipse for viewers in dark areas. He adds, "Partial eclipses are usually only 20% or 50%, but this is over 96%. That makes it unusual and spectacular." Space.com calls it the best lunar eclipse anywhere on Earth until New Year's Eve 2028–2029, a detail echoed by Florida Today. Because the moon will not pass fully into Earth's umbra, Space.com notes it will not technically qualify as a "true blood moon," but the visual effect should come remarkably close.

Space.com reports the eclipse will be visible to roughly 3.3 billion people across North America, South America, and parts of Europe and Africa, with each phase occurring simultaneously worldwide but local timings varying. ABC News says the best views will be in the eastern United States and Canada and all of Central and South America. According to ABC News, the best time to begin watching is around 10:33 p.m. ET on Thursday, with greatest coverage near 12:12 a.m. ET Friday, ending by 3:03 a.m. ET. Florida Today provides detailed Miami-area timings: penumbral eclipse begins at 9:23 p.m., partial phase at 10:33 p.m., maximum at 12:12 a.m., and the partial phase ends at 1:51 a.m. on August 28. For Europe, Africa, and the UK, Space.com notes it will be an early morning event near moonset.

During the eclipse, the moon is expected to take on a deep reddish-copper hue. Cowboy State Daily explains that Earth's atmosphere scatters shorter-wavelength colors like blue and green, allowing only low-wavelength red light to reach the lunar surface. Curtis describes the expected visual as "a reddish moon with a slight sliver of silver at the edge," calling the contrast interesting. ABC News quotes NASA's description: "It's as if all of the world's sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon." Mashable similarly notes that the atmosphere scatters much of the blue light, permitting more red and orange light to reach the moon. No special equipment is needed—Space.com, ABC News, NBC Chicago, and Mashable all confirm the eclipse is safe to view with the naked eye, though binoculars or a telescope can enhance the experience.

The Weather Channel offers an early regional forecast for eclipse night. A heat dome likely anchored in the Southwest could keep skies clear across much of the West, with great viewing conditions expected under high pressure—aside from isolated thunderstorms in the Rockies or Desert Southwest and potential wildfire smoke. The Midwest is forecast to have relatively good conditions, though scattered thunderstorms in the Central Plains over Nebraska and Kansas could obstruct views. In the Northeast, forecast models suggest scattered showers and thunderstorms from the mid-Atlantic to New England, which may intermittently cloud the view. The South faces uncertainty, with scattered storms possible from Virginia to Florida, though The Weather Channel notes they may be scattered enough to allow viewing, especially in Oklahoma and Texas.

For those who miss this event, the wait will be considerable. Space.com and Florida Today both report this will be the best lunar eclipse anywhere on Earth until December 31, 2028, when a total lunar eclipse rolls into January 1, 2029—though Florida Today notes that one will not be visible from Florida. NBC Chicago reports that the next partial lunar eclipse is set for January 12, 2028, and that the three eclipses following the August 2026 event will be penumbral, meaning they only slightly darken the moon's surface and are barely noticeable from Earth. Cowboy State Daily also notes that lunar and solar eclipses come in pairs: the August 12 total solar eclipse over Iceland and parts of Spain and Portugal was followed two weeks later by this near-total lunar event, a pattern driven by the two-week window in which Earth, Moon, and Sun remain in the same orbital plane.