The umbra covered 96 per cent of the lunar disc in this partial eclipse
In the partial lunar eclipse of 27-28 August, Earth's umbra reached 96 per cent of the lunar disc in a deep partial eclipse. At the peak, shadow coverage hit 96.3 per cent. The shadowed surface reddened through Rayleigh scattering while a thin crescent stayed in direct sunlight. The partial phase began at 02:33 GMT on 28 August, and skywatchers shared images from Hungary to North Carolina and from Madrid to Istanbul. The Moon was this month's Sturgeon full moon; Tycho crater stayed visible as shadow advanced.
Science··Morning
The umbra reached 96 per cent of the disc
In the partial lunar eclipse of the night of 27-28 August, Earth's umbra reached 96 per cent of the lunar disc, which NASA calls a deep partial eclipse. At the peak, shadow coverage hit 96.3 per cent. A thin crescent remained in direct sunlight. The shadowed surface reddened as light filtered through the atmosphere by Rayleigh scattering; because the eclipse stayed partial, the whole disc never reddened at once and observers described the sight as an almost blood moon.[1], [2]
The partial phase began at 02:33 GMT
The partial phase began at 02:33 GMT on 28 August. Scientific American reports the eclipse ran from about 21.23 EDT on Thursday until about 03.02 EDT on Friday, with the peak at 00.13 EDT. Skywatchers caught it from Hungary to North Carolina, and photographs came in from Madrid, the Rocca Calascio fortress in Italy, the Nuruosmaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Saint Louis and Washington. The Moon was this month's Sturgeon full moon.[1], [2]
The crater Tycho stayed visible in shadow
As the Moon slid into shadow the crater Tycho and its bright ray system stayed visible; in a partial eclipse surface detail can read more clearly in the areas the umbra divides. It was the year's second and final lunar eclipse, and the next total lunar eclipse is not due until 31 December 2028. While 2027 will bring only subtle penumbral lunar eclipses, solar eclipses are scheduled for 6 February and 2 August 2027.[1], [2]
