Near-total lunar eclipse to put on a late-night show over the Upstate
August 23, 2026
Stargazers across the Upstate will have a clear view next week when Earth’s shadow slides across the face of the full moon in what astronomers are calling a deep partial eclipse.
The event begins late Thursday, Aug. 27, and stretches into the early hours of Friday, Aug. 28. At maximum, roughly 96% of the lunar surface will be swallowed by Earth’s shadow, just shy of a complete blackout.
When to look up
The faint outer edge of that shadow, known as the penumbra, will first touch the moon around 9:23 p.m. Thursday, though the dimming will be subtle at that stage. The dramatic portion begins near 10:34 p.m., when the moon slips into the dark inner shadow called the umbra. Greatest eclipse arrives just after midnight, at roughly 12:13 a.m. The dark shadow finishes clearing the moon around 1:52 a.m., and the last traces of the eclipse fade by about 3 a.m.
At its deepest, the moon should take on a coppery, reddish-orange cast, the effect commonly described as a blood moon. Because the alignment between sun, Earth and moon is not quite perfect this time, a thin sliver along one edge will remain outside the darkest shadow, which keeps the eclipse from officially qualifying as total.
No glasses required
Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is completely safe to watch with the unaided eye. No filters, glasses or special equipment are needed. Binoculars or a small telescope will sharpen the view of the shadow’s edge creeping across the craters, but neither is required. Viewers need only a clear sky and an open view toward the south, where the moon will be riding high around midnight.
The second half of a pair
The eclipse comes two weeks after a total solar eclipse crossed Greenland, Iceland and Spain, a spectacle that was not visible from the United States. Eclipses tend to arrive in pairs, roughly two weeks apart, when the sun, Earth and moon line up closely enough for one to block the other.
This time the Americas are better positioned. Nearly 1 billion people across the United States, Canada, and Central and South America will be able to watch the entire event from start to finish. Billions more in Europe, Africa and the Middle East will catch part of it, though the moon will already be setting there.
The eclipse also stands to draw an audience beyond the planet. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station and China’s orbiting station may have a view of their own, and NASA’s lunar ambitions have kept the moon in the news since the Artemis II crew completed a record-setting flyby in April.
A long wait for the next one
This is the second lunar eclipse of 2026 and the fourth eclipse of any kind this year. A total lunar eclipse was visible over the Americas in March. Patience will be required for the next one. The next total lunar eclipse falls on New Year’s Eve 2028 and favors Asia and Australia, and viewers in North and South America will wait until 2029 for another full eclipse of the moon.
Partial eclipses like this one occur a few times a year, while total lunar eclipses come along roughly once every year and a half.
Local viewing tips
Anyone planning to watch should keep an eye on the forecast midweek, since late August cloud cover in the Upstate can be unpredictable. Backyards, ballfields and other spots away from streetlights will offer the best contrast.
