The Old Farmer’s Almanac says a blood moon on August 27, 2026 will leave 96% of the Moon’s face covered in a partial lunar eclipse. For much of North America, the best viewing comes on Thursday evening, with the deepest part arriving just after midnight in the Eastern Time Zone.
The eclipse will last more than 5 hours, and the obvious partial phase will run for about 3 hours and 18 minutes. That gives observers a long window to watch Earth’s shadow move across the Moon, with the deepest part showing only a narrow bright sliver.
North America eclipse timing
For most of North America, the lunar eclipse takes place on the evening of Thursday, August 27, 2026. In the Eastern Time Zone, maximum eclipse comes just after midnight on Friday, August 28, which pushes the clearest view into the next calendar day for many observers.
Across much of the central and eastern United States and Canada, the Moon will be well above the horizon during the deepest part of the eclipse. The early stages may happen before moonrise in parts of western North America, so some viewers there will miss the start if they wait until the Moon is already visible.
West Coast horizon view
If you live on the West Coast, a clear view toward the eastern horizon matters. The Moon may rise while the eclipse is already underway, so the first moments can appear low in the sky rather than overhead.
The eclipse begins quietly as the Moon enters the penumbra, the pale outer fringe of Earth’s shadow. The first and last penumbral stages are much subtler than the main partial phase, and only when the Moon’s leading edge is nearly three-quarters of the way through the penumbra should a delicate gray veil begin to creep across its lower-left edge.
Sun and the Full Moon
A lunar eclipse happens when Earth passes between the Sun and the Full Moon, and Earth casts its shadow across the lunar surface. This one is not quite total, yet it may still look close enough to a total eclipse to stand out in the sky.
It is safe to watch with your eyes alone, and it does not require special eclipse glasses. Binoculars or a small telescope can make the colors and contrasts appear more striking, but the long, deep eclipse should already be visible without them.
