Partial lunar eclipse to turn the Moon red across the Americas and Western Europe
A near-total partial lunar eclipse will darken up to 96% of the lunar surface on 28 August, bringing reddish hues to night skies across the Americas, Europe and Africa.
Global viewing zone and Saros cycle
Skywatchers across North and South America, Western Europe and western Africa will observe a partial lunar eclipse during the night of 27 August and the early hours of 28 August. NASA estimates that more than 3.3 billion people live within regions capable of viewing at least one phase of the event. The astronomical occurrence belongs to the Saros series, a repeating cycle in which related eclipses recur every 18 years, 11 days and 8 hours. The previous event in this specific Saros family occurred on 16 August 2008, while the subsequent eclipse will take place on 7 September 2044. In Colombia, public viewing and planetarium conferences are scheduled across cities including Bogotá, Medellín and Cali.
- Previous lunar eclipse in this Saros cycle occurs
- Current partial lunar eclipse occurs
- Next lunar eclipse in this Saros cycle scheduled
Timetable of the eclipse phases
The eclipse begins as the Moon enters Earth's faint outer shadow, known as the penumbra, producing a subtle dimming of the lunar surface. In Spain, calculations from the Instituto Geográfico Nacional show the penumbral phase starting at 03:23 Central European Summer Time on 28 August. The partial umbral phase, where a distinct curved shadow cuts across the lunar disc, will commence at 04:34 and reach peak coverage at 06:12 before concluding at 07:52. Observers in Mexico will see penumbral contact begin at 19:23 local time on 27 August, reaching 50% umbral coverage at 21:15 and peak obscurity at 22:13.
- Penumbral phase begins as the Moon enters Earth's outer shadow
- Partial umbral phase begins with visible shadow on lunar disc
- Maximum eclipse reached with up to 96% coverage
- Partial umbral phase ends as the Moon exits Earth's shadow
Optical mechanisms and lunar color
During the maximum phase, between 93% and 96% of the lunar disc will enter the dark central umbra, depending on institutional measurements. Although Earth blocks direct sunlight, longer red and copper wavelengths bend through the terrestrial atmosphere and illuminate the eclipsed lunar surface. The Observatorio Astronómico de la Universidad Nacional in Colombia detailed the optical Rayleigh scattering mechanism behind the coloration.
It is the same physics of sunset, but this time falling upon the Moon.
NASA science communicators noted that the unblocked edge will preserve normal luminosity while the shadowed remainder takes on an oxidized appearance.
At the moment of maximum eclipse, around 93% of the Moon's diameter will be inside Earth's dark central shadow, called the umbra.
Observation conditions and regional visibility
Unlike solar eclipses, observing a lunar eclipse requires no protective eyewear or specialized filters, making direct visual observation safe with the naked eye, binoculars or telescopes. Antena 3 weather presenter Roberto Brasero clarified that the Moon will take on only a slight reddish tint rather than a full blood moon appearance. Gilles Bergond, an astronomer at the Calar Alto Observatory in Gérgal, recommended waking early and securing an unobstructed western horizon away from street lights. In Spain, western regions including Galicia, western Andalusia, the Canary Islands and Ceuta will see the full sequence before moonset, while the Moon will set before the partial phase ends in eastern Spain and the Balearic Islands. Meteorological agency Aemet forecasts the clearest skies in Huelva and Sevilla, while clouds will affect Málaga, Cádiz, Córdoba and Granada, and Almería faces clouds and rain.
