Francine Jackson said a deep partial lunar eclipse will begin on the night of Aug. 27 and run into early Aug. 28, with 96 percent of the moon’s face sliding into Earth’s shadow. The moon will reach its fullest coverage at 12:12 a.m., just after it begins entering Earth’s major shadow at 10:33 p.m.
Francine Jackson and Ladd Observatory
Jackson, a staff astronomer at the Ladd Observatory at Brown University, said the moon will leave the umbra at 1:52 a.m. The timing gives skywatchers a short window before and after midnight, with the strongest view centered around the peak she identified.
At maximum, the moon is expected to take on a reddish blood moon glow, and Jackson said it may seem as if the moon has a “polar cap.” That appearance comes from a deep partial eclipse stopping short of a full covering, even though the shadow will cover almost the entire visible face.
August skies in New England
August also includes a total solar eclipse on Aug. 12 and The Perseids in August, making the month unusually busy for skywatchers. The lunar eclipse follows the solar event by about two weeks, and the timing places it in the same stretch of nights that includes The Sturgeon Moon.
The Sturgeon Moon peaks at 12:18 a.m. ET on the same night as the lunar eclipse. For readers planning to watch, the main span to track is 10:33 p.m. through 1:52 a.m., with the strongest coverage at 12:12 a.m.
Aug. 12 total solar eclipse
The Aug. 12 total solar eclipse sweeps through the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain. In Southern New England, the solar eclipse will be about 14 percent and will begin about 1:02 p.m. EDT, a separate viewing event from the late-night lunar eclipse.
Jackson said of the partial solar eclipse in Southern New England: “this cannot be observed with the naked eye. You must have eye protection to view it.”
For the lunar eclipse, the practical takeaway is simpler: it is a late-night event with a narrow peak, and the best view will come for anyone watching around 12:12 a.m. as the moon moves deepest into Earth’s shadow.
