How To Watch Upcoming Lunar Eclipse As It Appears For First Time Since 2008

Solar Eclipses, when the moon blocks large or whole parts of the sun from our perspective, will happen on August 27 or 28, as Newsweek reported, depending on the time zone you’re in.

Partial lunar eclipses occur relatively frequently, as do phases of the moon as the body rotates, but partial eclipses like these are not quite as common. NASA’s calendar says the previous eclipse in this series occurred on August 16, 2008. The next time to witness this will not take place until September 7, 2044, roughly 18 years from this date. 

Earthsky has given us a timeframe for the phases of the eclipse, saying, “The Greatest eclipse [will occur] at 4:12 UTC on August 28, 2026. That’s 11:12 p.m. CDT on August 27. At maximum eclipse, about 96% of the moon’s disk will lie inside [the] Earth’s dark umbral shadow.”

This will correspond to 12:13 a.m. EDT (U.S. East Coast) on August 28, 11:13 p.m. CDT on August 27, 10:13 p.m. MDT on August 27, and 9:13 p.m. PDT (U.S. West Coast) on August 27 as well. 

Most of the world will be able to enjoy the view. According to EarthSky’s information, “No special glasses, filters, or protective equipment are required.” 

Not everyone will get to view the same thing, unfortunately. Sun Today says “The Americas see the whole show; Europe and Africa catch the eclipsed Moon setting at dawn; Hawaii and the central Pacific watch it rise already in shadow.”

This eclipse will block out most of the sun’s rays, causing a dark and red color to come from our beloved star. This is certainly a spectacle to try and see, to say the very least. 

Viewing with the naked eye is recommended, while telescopes and binoculars are also a potentially viable options if people have them. For those who cannot enjoy the event personally for whatever reason, Timeanddate will be broadcasting as well as NASA’s own live stream of the occurrence. 

So sit back, relax, and enjoy delicious food or crank some tunes while watching the cosmos do their thing.