August 2026 lunar eclipse: Why will almost the entire Moon disappear?

Thursday night, Earth is going to do something you usually never notice.

It’s going to cast a shadow roughly 870,000 miles into space, and the Moon is about to fly right through it.

The August 2026 lunar eclipse happens overnight August 27 into 28, when the Sun, Earth and Moon line up closely enough for Earth’s shadow to fall across the lunar surface. At maximum eclipse, about 96 percent of the Moon’s visible surface will be inside Earth’s darkest shadow.

That’s technically a partial lunar eclipse.

But “partial” is doing some pretty heavy lifting here.

How does the August 2026 lunar eclipse happen?

Picture three people standing in a perfectly straight line in front of a flashlight.

The Sun is the flashlight. You’re Earth. And your friend standing behind you is the Moon.

Normally, sunlight has a clear path to the Moon, which reflects some of that light back toward us. That’s why we can see the Moon at night in the first place.

But during a lunar eclipse, Earth moves into just the right position between the Sun and Moon.

Suddenly, we’re in the way.

Earth casts a long shadow into space, and as the Moon moves through it, that shadow appears to slowly take a bite out of the lunar surface.

Except Thursday night, it’s going to be one heck of a bite.

At maximum eclipse, about 96.2 percent of the Moon’s visible area will be covered by Earth’s darkest shadow. Only a thin portion escapes. That makes this about as close as a partial eclipse can get to looking like the real deal.

And then something even stranger happens.

Weather Man ⚡ – The Original Storm Chaser Tee

Buy Now

Why can the Moon turn red?

If Earth is blocking the sunlight, you might expect the eclipsed portion of the Moon to simply disappear into blackness.

It doesn’t always work that way.

Some sunlight skims through Earth’s atmosphere on its way toward the Moon. Our atmosphere scatters shorter blue wavelengths of light much more efficiently, while more of the reds and oranges continue through.

Sound familiar?

It’s essentially the same reason sunsets can turn spectacular shades of orange and red.

During a lunar eclipse, however, that filtered reddish light can travel all the way to the Moon and illuminate it.

In a way, the Moon is being lit by the combined glow of sunsets and sunrises occurring around the edge of Earth.

Think about that the next time you see a copper-colored eclipsed Moon.

You’re looking at our atmosphere painting another world red.

Where can you see Thursday night’s eclipse?

A huge portion of the planet gets a seat for this one.

The eclipse will be visible from much of North and South America, along with portions of Europe and Africa. Unlike a solar eclipse, you don’t need eclipse glasses, a telescope or any special equipment.

Just your eyes and, preferably, a cooperative sky.

Maximum eclipse occurs at about 4:13 UTC on August 28, which is approximately 12:13 a.m. Eastern, 11:13 p.m. Central, 10:13 p.m. Mountain and 9:13 p.m. Pacific.

Exact visibility varies by location, particularly across western North America, where the eclipse may already be underway as the Moon rises.

Binoculars or a small telescope can make Earth’s curved shadow even more impressive, but they aren’t necessary. A lunar eclipse is perfectly safe to watch with the naked eye.

You’re actually watching Earth’s shadow

That may be the coolest part of the whole thing.

We spend our lives standing on Earth, which makes it difficult to see our planet as an object floating through space.

A lunar eclipse changes that.

Look at the dark curve moving across the Moon Thursday night and you are literally seeing the shadow of the planet beneath your feet projected onto something nearly a quarter-million miles away.

For a few hours, Earth itself becomes part of the night-sky show.

So yes, technically it’s only a partial eclipse.

But when Earth swallows about 96 percent of the Moon and paints much of what remains in shades of copper and red, we’re willing to forgive the missing four percent.

Besides, when the Moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie…

That’s amore.

And Thursday night, there’s going to be a whole lotta Moon to love.

Talk Weather To Me!

Love weather stories that make you say, “I never knew that!”?

Join the free Talk Weather To Me newsletter and get one fascinating weather or science story delivered to your inbox every morning in about two minutes. No hype. Just one great curiosity to start your day.

Subscribe free at WeatherNerdy.com/daily.