96% Lunar Eclipse Dazzles Americas Aug 27-28

A near-total partial lunar eclipse will darken 96% of the moon on Aug 27-28, visible to billions.

On the night of August 27–28, 2026, Earth's shadow will cover approximately 96% of the moon's visible surface in an unusually deep partial lunar eclipse. The event arrives just two weeks after the total solar eclipse of August 12, illustrating how eclipses travel in pairs when the sun, moon, and Earth align. Multiple outlets — including NBC News, Digital Camera World, and JubileeCast — confirm the 96% figure, with JubileeCast citing NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio for a precise 96.2% coverage value. Although technically partial, the eclipse will closely resemble a total lunar eclipse, with the moon glowing a deep reddish-orange as sunlight refracts through Earth's atmosphere.

Despite widespread use of the term "blood moon," several sources emphasize that this label technically belongs only to total lunar eclipses. Digital Camera World notes that because a thin sliver of the moon remains outside Earth's umbra throughout the event, it is officially classified as partial. NBC News similarly reports that the lineup will not be perfect and therefore won't produce a true blood moon. However, the distinction may be academic for most observers: Digital Camera World explains that cameras will still capture a darkened, reddish lunar disk that many would struggle to distinguish from images taken during a total eclipse.

The eclipse will be visible to roughly 3.3 billion people across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, according to multiple sources. NBC News reports that nearly one billion people in the U.S., Canada, and Central and South America will have front-row views for the entire event, while more than three billion — 44% of the world's population — will catch at least part of it. Starlust.org notes that viewers in Australia, India, China, and Japan will miss out, as the moon sits below the horizon in those regions. The entire eclipse spans approximately 5.5 hours, with maximum eclipse at 4:12 a.m. UTC on August 28.

The partial phase begins at 2:33 a.m. UTC on August 28, with maximum eclipse at 4:12 a.m. UTC. For U.S. East Coast viewers, Digital Camera World provides New York times: penumbral begins at 9:23 p.m. EDT on August 27, partial begins at 10:33 p.m. EDT, and maximum occurs at 12:12 a.m. EDT on August 28. On the West Coast, according to the same source, Los Angeles sees the partial phase begin shortly after moonrise at 7:33 p.m. PDT, with maximum at 9:12 p.m. PDT. In Europe, the eclipse occurs near moonset at dawn, with London seeing maximum at 5:12 a.m. BST before the moon sets at 6:15 a.m. BST.

This eclipse represents the most dramatic lunar event until the end of 2028. Digital Camera World reports that no deeper lunar eclipse will occur until the total lunar eclipse on New Year's Eve 2028, and NBC News confirms that the next total lunar eclipse won't arrive until that same date, with Asia and Australia at center stage. For North and South American skywatchers, the next full lunar eclipse visible in their skies won't come until June 25–26, 2029, making this week's near-total event especially significant. Starlust.org adds that this eclipse belongs to Saros 138, with the next in that series not arriving until September 7, 2044.

No special equipment or eye protection is needed — lunar eclipses are completely safe to view with the naked eye, a point confirmed by Digital Camera World, Astro Bob in the Duluth News Tribune, and JubileeCast. For photographers, Digital Camera World recommends a sturdy tripod and manual focus on the moon's limb, with starting settings around 1/125 to 1/250 second at ISO 100 and f/8, lengthening exposures as the moon darkens. The outlet also suggests automatic exposure bracketing to handle the extreme dynamic range. Astro Bob advises finding a comfortable chair and waking the kids, noting that as the moon darkens, stars and the Milky Way will briefly reappear — one of the most beloved aspects of any lunar eclipse.