August has been a busy month for celestial events, including a solar eclipse and the Perseid meteor shower. Now, stargazers can turn their attention to a near-total lunar eclipse.
Starting on Aug. 27 at 9:23 p.m. ET, a partial lunar eclipse will turn the moon a deep rusty red for just over three hours as it passes through Earth’s shadow. About 987 million people in North and South America, or roughly 12% of the world’s population, will be able to view all phases of the lunar eclipse, weather permitting, TimeandDate.com says.
Lunar eclipses are often referred to as "blood moons" because the moon tends to appear rusty red when it is completely hidden within Earth’s shadow. The next total lunar eclipse visible from the United States will occur on June
26, 2029, according to NASA.
What to know about the partial lunar eclipse
On the night of Aug. 27 and into the early hours of Aug. 28, the moon will pass through Earth’s shadow, creating a partial lunar eclipse. It will be the first lunar eclipse visible from the Americas since September 2024, according to NASA. The eclipse will last a total of 5 hours and 38 minutes, TimeandDate says, with the darkest stage, known as the umbral phase, lasting 3 hours and 18 minutes.
Where the partial lunar eclipse will be visible
It will be visible from much of North and South America and parts of Europe and Africa.
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Path the moon will take
This animation shows the moon's path through Earth's shadow. Most of the moon will be obscured, with only a thin sliver remaining outside the shadow, giving the lunar surface an eerie red glow.
Unlike the recent solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse can be watched safely with the naked eye. Binoculars or a small telescope may provide a closer look at Earth’s curved shadow as it moves across the moon.
What happens during a partial lunar eclipse?
During a partial lunar eclipse, only part of the moon enters Earth's inner shadow, because the sun, Earth and moon are not perfectly aligned. This casts a dark, reddish shadow across a section of the moon, leaving the rest illuminated. As the moon slips into Earth's shadow, about 96.2% of its surface will be shrouded in darkness, according to TimeandDate.
Exact times of the partial lunar eclipse in 2026
CONTRIBUTING Iris Seaton, USA TODAY NETWORK
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to catch a glimpse of a copper-colored moon this week
