Partial lunar eclipse to cover 93% of Moon across Spain on 28 August
A partial lunar eclipse with a magnitude of 0.93 will be visible across Spain and parts of four continents before sunrise on 28 August 2026.
Lunar alignment and schedule
On the morning of Friday 28 August 2026, the Earth will align directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow across the lunar surface. The event follows the solar eclipse of 12 August and the Perseid meteor shower. According to the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), the partial eclipse will reach a magnitude of 0.93, obscuring up to 93% of the lunar diameter at its peak. Calculations from José Ángel Docobo, coordinator at the Ramón María Aller Astronomical Observatory of the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, indicate that the Moon will begin entering the penumbra at 03:25 before entering the umbral shadow cone at 04:34.
Docobo explained the orbital mechanics responsible for the event.
Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth is placed exactly between the Sun and the Moon, preventing all or part of the light emitted by the first from reaching the second. The lunar phase is therefore a full Moon.
The maximum obscuration will occur between 06:12 and 06:13, when the terrestrial shadow covers 93% of the lunar diameter. The partial phase will conclude at approximately 07:51, with the satellite fully exiting the penumbral cone by 09:01.
- Moon begins entering the penumbral shadow cone.
- Partial eclipse begins as the Moon enters the umbra.
- Eclipse reaches maximum obscuration of 93%.
- Partial umbral phase ends.
- Moon exits the penumbra, concluding the eclipse.
Atmospheric filtering and reddish tint
As the Earth blocks direct solar illumination, the Moon will not turn completely dark. Sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere undergoes scattering, where shorter blue wavelengths disperse and longer red wavelengths refract into the terrestrial shadow cone. Depending on atmospheric conditions, shadowed regions of the lunar surface will take on coppery and orange tones during the deepest phase of the event.
Because a sliver of the lunar disk will remain directly illuminated by unfiltered sunlight, the event does not qualify as a total eclipse. Presenter Roberto Brasero explained the physical distinction between a partial event and a full blood moon.
when it is a total lunar eclipse, the Moon turns red. It darkens, it gets covered, it enters the shadow, but when it reaches the end it turns red and that is why they call it a blood moon.
The intensity of the reddish glow will vary based on regional air quality and cloud conditions.
Observation conditions across Spain
The eclipse will be visible to the naked eye without specialized optical filters or safety equipment. Viewers across western Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas will be able to observe portions of the alignment. Within Spain, geographic position will determine how much of the final sequence remains visible before moonset.
In eastern and central regions, including the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, and Melilla, the Moon will set before the partial phase concludes. In Valencia, moonset is scheduled around 07:32, approximately twenty minutes before the shadow completely recedes. Observers in Andalusia, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and western provinces of Castilla y León such as Ávila, León, Salamanca, and Zamora will witness the complete partial phase. In Ceuta, where the Moon will sit 18.5 degrees above the horizon during the 06:12 peak, moonset will not occur until 07:58. Astronomers recommend finding observation points with unobstructed views toward the western horizon.
