A partial lunar eclipse will be visible on August 27, with 96% of the Moon entering Earth's shadow.

Partial Lunar Eclipse Visible Later This Week Skywatchers across parts of North America will have an opportunity to see a partial lunar eclipse late Thursday night into early Friday morning as the Moon passes through Earth’s shadow. The eclipse will reach its maximum shortly before midnight on Thursday, August 27, at approximately 11:13 p.m. CDT. At that point, about 96% of the Moon’s surface will be within Earth’s darkest shadow, or umbra, leaving only a small sliver of the Moon illuminated by direct sunlight. When Can You See It? The eclipse will unfold over several hours, beginning Thursday evening and continuing into the early morning hours Friday. For the Central Time Zone, the timeline is: 7:23 p.m. Thursday: The penumbral eclipse begins, although the change will be subtle.9:33 p.m.: The Moon begins entering Earth’s umbra, marking the start of the more noticeable portion of the eclipse.10:15 p.m.: About half of the Moon’s disk will be eclipsed.11:13 p.m.: Maximum eclipse, with 96.3% of the Moon’s disk within Earth’s umbra.12:11 a.m. Friday: About half of the Moon’s disk remains eclipsed.12:52 a.m.: The Moon exits the umbra, ending the most noticeable portion of the eclipse.2:01 a.m.: The penumbral eclipse ends.The best viewing opportunity will be around the period of maximum eclipse, when the vast majority of the Moon will be immersed in Earth’s shadow. Why Is It Happening? A lunar eclipse can only occur during a full moon because the Earth must be positioned between the Sun and Moon, allowing Earth’s shadow to fall across the lunar surface. In this case, the timing is particularly close: the Moon reaches its full phase at approximately 11:18 p.m. CDT Thursday, only a few minutes after maximum eclipse. Solar eclipses work oppositely. They can only occur during a new moon, when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun. The alignment doesn’t happen every full moon because the Moon’s orbit is tilted slightly relative to Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Only when the geometry lines up correctly can an eclipse occur. What Will It Look Like? Unlike a total lunar eclipse, the Moon won’t completely disappear into Earth’s shadow. Instead, most of the lunar disk will take on a more coppery-red glow while a thin portion remains brightly illuminated. The event should be easy to observe without any special equipment. Unlike a solar eclipse, you do not need special eye protection to look at a lunar eclipse. A clear view of the sky will be the biggest requirement. Binoculars or a telescope can also provide a closer look at the Moon’s changing appearance. Visibility will vary depending on location, weather conditions and how much of the eclipse is above the horizon at a given location. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio has also produced a visibility map along with images and video showing how the partial lunar eclipse will progress. Partial Lunar Eclipse – EDTPartial Lunar Eclipse – CDTPartial Lunar Eclipse – MDTPartial Lunar Eclipse – PDT For Gulf Coast residents, the timing makes this a late-night viewing opportunity, with the most impressive portion occurring around 11 p.m. Thursday night. So if skies are clear, consider stepping outside Thursday night. The Moon will be putting on a show! #lunarEclipse #nasa #nature #partialEclipse #science #Weather

🌕 Look up on August 27! A deep partial lunar eclipse is coming to the Bay Area, with 96% of the Moon slipping into Earth’s shadow at maximum eclipse. For San Jose and the Bay Area: 🌕 Moonrise: 7:35 p.m. 🌑 Maximum eclipse: 9:12 p.m. 🌕 Partial eclipse ends: 10:51 p.m. #LunarEclipse #Astronomy #BayArea #SanJose #Skywatching #LookUp #SJAA #SETIInstitute