August 28, 2026 partial lunar eclipse

On Wednesday morning of August 28th 2026, a partial lunar eclipse will be visible from Iceland, weather permitting. The eclipse is a very deep partial as 93% of the Moon's disc will be within Earth's umbral shadow. Only the northernmost part of the Moon is outside the umbra.

Last time a partial lunar eclipse occurred in Iceland was on September 7, 2025 and next on January 12, 2028.

Where can you see the August 28, 2026 partial lunar eclipse?

The eclipse is best seen from Europe, Africa, North and South America and eastern part of the Pacific. The lunar eclipse occurs two weeks after the August 12, 2026 total solar eclipse.

Timings of the August 28, 2026 partial lunar eclipse (in UT)

• Start of penumbral eclipse: 01:23:29 (not visible to the unaided eye)
• Start of partial eclipse: 02:33:21
• Maximum eclipse: 04:12:52
• End of partial eclipse: 05:52:09
• End of penumbral eclipse: 07:02:00
• In Reykjavík Moonset is at 06:16 during the penumbral phase.
• In Egilsstaðir in East Iceland, Moonset is at 05:39 during the partial phase.

Total duration of the lunar eclipse is 5h 38m 31s. Duration of the partial phase is 3h 18m 48s.

During the eclipse, the Moon is within the constellation of Aquarius.

The eclipse is part of Saros series 138, number 29 of 82 in that series.

Why are total lunar eclipses often called "bloodmoon"?

During totality, the Moon appears reddish. The reason is that sunlight passes through Earth's atmosphere and illuminates the Moon. This reddish light is why total lunar eclipses are sometimes called "bloodmoons". 

The red light comes from every sunrise and sunset happening on Earth at the same time. It sometimes varies between eclipses depending on how dusty Earth's atmosphere is.

The partial lunar eclipse of August 28th 2026 is so deep that the lower part of the Moon will be reddish.

How to watch a lunar eclipse?

You don't need any optical aids to watch the lunar eclipse. However, it is even more interesting to watch the eclipse with the help of binoculars or small astronomical telescope.

How to photograph a lunar eclipse?

Photographing the lunar eclipse is very easy if you are using a DSLR or mirrorless cameras and a nice long focal length lens, for example 400mm or longer. A stable tripod is a must during totality as a longer exposure is needed. 

Shooting the eclipse with a smartphone is more cumbersome since the Moon's disk will be tiny. Instead, we recommend using a telescope and image through the eyepiece or buy an adapter to do so.

A high quality telescope on a computerised mount is, of course, the best way to capture the beauty of the eclipse.

Why do lunar eclipses occur?

Lunar eclipses occur when the Sun, the Earth and the Moon are in a direct line, called syzygy, so that the Moon crosses Earth's shadow. During totality, the Moon passes into the darkest part of Earth's umbra. 

Lunar eclipses don't occur every month since the orbit of the Moon is tilted by about 5 degrees. Therefore, most of the time, the Moon passes north or south of the shadow.

What else is visible in the night sky?

In the morning hours of August 28, Saturn shines high in the southern sky. Jupiter rises in the northeast around 3:30 AM.

September 7, 2025, Saturn shines to the left of the Moon. Jupiter rises in the northeast around midnight, close to Gemini the Twins. Around 04 in the morning, brilliant Venus rises in northeast.

When are next lunar eclipses visible from Iceland?

Next lunar eclipses visible from Iceland will be on:

• January 12, 2028 - Partial eclipse
• December 31, 2028 - Total eclipse
• June 26, 2029 - Total eclipse
• December 20, 2029 - Total eclipse
• October 18, 2032 - Total eclipse
• April 14, 2033 - Total eclipse

Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, www.EclipseWise.com.

Illustrations by Andreas Dill / Iceland at Night