Partial lunar eclipse for early risers on 28 August 2026

August 18, 2026

Solar and lunar eclipses often occur in pairs, and a little over two weeks after the solar eclipse on 12 August 2026, a lunar eclipse awaits us on 28 August. The viewing conditions in Germany will be very similar, albeit with the opposite pattern: The eclipse will take place low on the western horizon, and parts of it will occur only after the Moon sets—not in the evening though, but at dawn.

A solar eclipse is often followed by a lunar eclipse about two weeks later, or a lunar eclipse is followed by another solar eclipse. However, it is rare for the solar and lunar eclipses that make up such an “eclipse season” to be visible from the same location on Earth. In the case of the lunar eclipse on 28 August 2026 which follows the solar eclipse on 12 August, this is indeed the case when viewed from Germany. However, both eclipses are only partially visible.

Infographic of the partial lunar eclipse on 28 August 2026, centered on the Earth’s umbra. Times for entry into and exit from the umbra and penumbra, as well as the maximum of the eclipse are also shown. — Infographic of the partial lunar eclipse on 28 August 2026 centered on Earth’s umbra.

Image: Vereinigung der Sternfreunde

Infographic of the partial lunar eclipse on 28 August 2026 centered on Earth’s umbra.

Image: Vereinigung der Sternfreunde

A lunar eclipse occurs whenever the Moon, as it orbits the Earth, enters the shadow that the Earth casts into space. Earth’s shadow consists of two regions: the inner umbra and the outer penumbra. The clearly visible part of the eclipse begins at 4:33 CEST on 28 August 2026, when the Moon enters the umbra. At that time, the Moon will be slightly higher in the sky in Germany than the Sun was at the start of the solar eclipse on 12 August.

As the eclipse progresses, however, not only does the Moon move closer and closer to the horizon, but dawn also begins to break, brightening the sky. This makes it increasingly difficult to see the Moon. Binoculars can be helpful here. The maximum eclipse at 6:13 CEST occurs after the Moon has set and the Sun has risen in eastern Germany.

Telescopic image of a partial lunar eclipse shortly before totality begins. Part of the Moon in the upper right is still bright, while on the left side, the copper-red color of a total lunar eclipse is already visible. — Image of the partial phase of the total lunar eclipse on 21 January 2019, with a degree of coverage roughly equivalent to the view of the lunar eclipse on 28 August 2026 at the maximum eclipse, but at a greater altitude above the horizon than in Germany.

Image: Carolin Liefke

Image of the partial phase of the total lunar eclipse on 21 January 2019, with a degree of coverage roughly equivalent to the view of the lunar eclipse on 28 August 2026 at the maximum eclipse, but at a greater altitude above the horizon than in Germany.

Image: Carolin Liefke

In the far west of the country, however, the rise and set times for the Sun and Moon are delayed by a little more than half an hour, so that more of the eclipse will be visible. The Moon’s exit from the umbra at 7:53 CEST will, in any case, occur long after sunrise and moonset as seen from Germany. In western Spain, West Africa, and the Canary Islands, however, nearly the entire passage through the umbra can be observed. Optimal viewing conditions will be in the eastern parts of the U.S. and Canada, as well as throughout South America.

During this eclipse, 93% of the Moon will enter Earth’s umbra. This means it is not a total lunar eclipse but a partial one, and a small portion of the Moon will remain bright in any case. The typical copper-red color that the Moon takes on during a total lunar eclipse might still be faintly visible, at least in western Germany, for the eclipsed portion of the Moon.

To observe the eclipse, you’ll need a clear sky and an unobstructed view of the southwestern horizon. The vast majority of locations from which the solar eclipse was visible on 12 August should also be suitable for observing the lunar eclipse on 28 August. It can also be very rewarding to capture the partially eclipsed Moon above the horizon with a suitable foreground object on camera.