A partial lunar eclipse will occur at the Moon’s ascending node of orbit on Friday, August 28, 2026,[1] with an umbral magnitude of 0.9319. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A partial lunar eclipse occurs when one part of the Moon is in the Earth's umbra, while the other part is in the Earth's penumbra. Unlike a solar eclipse, which can only be viewed from a relatively small area of the world, a lunar eclipse may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of Earth. Occurring about 6 days after perigee (on August 22, 2026, at 4:20 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter will be larger.[2]
| Partial eclipse | |||||||||||||
 The Moon's hourly motion shown right to left | |||||||||||||
| Date | August 28, 2026 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gamma | −0.4694 | ||||||||||||
| Magnitude | 0.9319 | ||||||||||||
| Saros cycle | 138 (30 of 83) | ||||||||||||
| Partiality | 198 minutes, 7 seconds | ||||||||||||
| Penumbral | 337 minutes, 46 seconds | ||||||||||||
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This lunar eclipse will be the last of an almost tetrad, with the others being on March 14, 2025 (total); September 8, 2025 (total); and March 3, 2026 (total).
Visibility
editThe eclipse will be completely visible over North and South America, seen rising over the central Pacific Ocean and setting over Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.[3]
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Eclipse details
editShown below is a table displaying details about this particular solar eclipse. It describes various parameters pertaining to this eclipse.[4]
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Penumbral Magnitude | 1.96645 |
| Umbral Magnitude | 0.93187 |
| Gamma | 0.49644 |
| Sun Right Ascension | 10h26m57.9s |
| Sun Declination | +09°42'52.7" |
| Sun Semi-Diameter | 15'50.0" |
| Sun Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 08.7" |
| Moon Right Ascension | 22h26m06.3s |
| Moon Declination | -09°18'03.6" |
| Moon Semi-Diameter | 15'18.2" |
| Moon Equatorial Horizontal Parallax | 0°56'09.9" |
| ΔT | 72.3 s |
Eclipse season
editThis eclipse is part of an eclipse season, a period, roughly every six months, when eclipses occur. Only two (or occasionally three) eclipse seasons occur each year, and each season lasts about 35 days and repeats just short of six months (173 days) later; thus two full eclipse seasons always occur each year. Either two or three eclipses happen each eclipse season. In the sequence below, each eclipse is separated by a fortnight.
| August 12 Descending node (new moon) |
August 28 Ascending node (full moon) |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Total solar eclipse Solar Saros 126 |
Partial lunar eclipse Lunar Saros 138 |
Related eclipses
editEclipses in 2026
edit- An annular solar eclipse on February 17.
- A total lunar eclipse on March 3.
- A total solar eclipse on August 12.
- A partial lunar eclipse on August 28.
Metonic
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of November 8, 2022
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 15, 2030
Tzolkinex
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of July 16, 2019
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of October 8, 2033
Half-Saros
edit- Preceded by: Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017
- Followed by: Solar eclipse of September 2, 2035
Tritos
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 28, 2015
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of July 27, 2037
Lunar Saros 138
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of August 16, 2008
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of September 7, 2044
Inex
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of September 16, 1997
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of August 7, 2055
Triad
edit- Preceded by: Lunar eclipse of October 28, 1939
- Followed by: Lunar eclipse of June 29, 2113
Lunar eclipses of 2024–2027
edit| Lunar eclipse series sets from 2024–2027 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Descending node | Ascending node | |||||||
| Saros | Date | Type Viewing |
Gamma | Saros | Date Viewing |
Type Chart |
Gamma | |
113
|
2024 Mar 25
|
Penumbral
|
1.06098 | 118
|
2024 Sep 18
|
Partial
|
−0.97920 | |
| 123 | 2025 Mar 14
|
Total
|
0.34846 | 128 | 2025 Sep 07
|
Total
|
−0.27521 | |
| 133 | 2026 Mar 03
|
Total
|
−0.37651 | 138 | 2026 Aug 28
|
Partial
|
0.49644 | |
| 143 | 2027 Feb 20
|
Penumbral
|
−1.04803 | 148 | 2027 Aug 17
|
Penumbral
|
1.27974 | |
| Last set | 2023 May 05 | Last set | 2023 Oct 28 | |||||
| Next set | 2028 Jan 12 | Next set | 2027 Jul 18 | |||||
Saros 138
editLunar saros series 138 has 26 total eclipses between September 7, 2044 and March 24, 2369. The longest eclipse will be on January 7, 2243, and last for 102 minutes.
Partial eclipses will occur between June 24, 1918 and August 13, 2603. Penumbral eclipses will occur between October 15, 1521 and March 30, 2982. [5]
Metonic series
editThe Metonic cycle repeats nearly exactly every 19 years and represents a Saros cycle plus one lunar year. Because it occurs on the same calendar date, the Earth's shadow will be in nearly the same location relative to the background stars.
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Half-Saros cycle
editA lunar eclipse will be preceded and followed by solar eclipses by 9 years and 5.5 days (a half saros).[6] This lunar eclipse is related to two total solar eclipses of Solar Saros 145.
| August 21, 2017 | September 2, 2035 |
|---|---|
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See also
editNotes
edit- ^ "August 27–28, 2026 Partial Lunar Eclipse". timeanddate. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England". timeanddate. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "Partial Lunar Eclipse of 2026 Aug 28" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "Partial Lunar Eclipse of 2026 Aug 28". EclipseWise.com. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Hermit Eclipse: Eclipse Saros 138
- ^ Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Jean Meeus, p.110, Chapter 18, The half-saros
External links
edit- Saros cycle 138
- 2026 Aug 28 chart: Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA/GSFC
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