Updated
Updated · Popular Science · Jul 31
Partial Lunar Eclipse to Cover 96.2% of Moon on August 27-28 Across the US
Updated
Updated · Popular Science · Jul 31

Partial Lunar Eclipse to Cover 96.2% of Moon on August 27-28 Across the US

3 articles · Updated · Popular Science · Jul 31

Summary

  • A partial lunar eclipse will peak at 12:12 a.m. EDT on Aug. 28, when 96.2% of the moon’s surface is covered in Earth’s shadow.
  • The event begins around 10:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 27 and will be visible across the entire contiguous United States and in Hawaii, with only western Alaska missing out.
  • Because the moon passes into Earth’s shadow, it is expected to take on a deep red hue often associated with so-called blood moons.
  • The eclipse caps a busy August skywatching calendar that also includes a six-planet alignment, the Perseids’ peak, and an Aug. 12 solar eclipse visible in parts of Europe and the Arctic.

Insights

With a total solar eclipse and the Perseids peaking simultaneously this August, how will a suddenly darkened sky alter meteor visibility?
Since a six-planet alignment and deep lunar eclipse await this month, how can city dwellers overcome light pollution to witness these rare phenomena?
The August 12 solar eclipse belongs to a centuries-old Saros cycle; what secrets do these repeating cosmic alignments reveal about our universe?