Best lunar eclipse for the contiguous US until 2029 arrives Thursday night
About 96% of the moon will pass through Earth's dark inner shadow, turning much of the Full Sturgeon Moon red on Thursday night.
A partial lunar eclipse will rise on the night of Aug. 27-28, marking the best eclipse visible from the contiguous U.S. until 2029. Anna Azallion shares the viewing conditions for the upcoming event.
Nearly the entire moon will slip into Earth's dark inner shadow Thursday night into early Friday morning during an impressive partial lunar eclipse that will be visible from almost all of the United States.
At the height of the eclipse, around 96% of the moon will be covered by Earth's umbra, the darkest part of the planet's shadow. Only a small sliver of the moon will remain brightly illuminated by direct sunlight.
The rest of the moon may take on a coppery or reddish hue, similar to what happens during a total lunar eclipse, according to NASA. The color should become easier to see as the eclipse approaches its peak.
For the contiguous U.S., it will be the best lunar eclipse visible until June 25-26, 2029.
The earth's shadow covers the full moon during a partial lunar eclipse, early Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
The partial eclipse will begin at 10:34 p.m. EDT Thursday and last for 3 hours and 18 minutes, ending at 1:52 a.m. EDT Friday. The height of the eclipse will occur around 12:12 a.m. EDT, making that the best single time to look at the moon.
Unlike a solar eclipse, no special eye protection is needed to safely view a lunar eclipse.
The partial eclipse will be visible across most of North America with the exception of parts of Alaska and far northern Canada. People across South America, Europe and Africa will also be able to see at least part of the event.
Will clouds block the lunar eclipse?
The best viewing conditions for Thursday night's eclipse are expected across the Midwest and parts of the West Coast. The event will also be easy to see from light-polluted areas such as Chicago and Las Vegas unlike meteor showers, where bright city lights can outshine shooting stars.
Clouds will be a concern across much of the East Coast and Gulf Coast, where rain and thunderstorms are in the forecast during the eclipse. Clouds could also spoil the view across parts of the northern Plains.
Because the partial lunar eclipse lasts more than three hours, areas with intermittent clouds may still get opportunities to see the moon during breaks in the cloud cover.
Aurora may glow with the lunar eclipse
Skywatchers in parts of North America could have a rare opportunity to see the aurora borealis during this week’s eclipse, following a solar flare. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center issued a “moderate” geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday into Friday, coinciding with the eclipse.
The best time to see the aurora will be during the eclipse itself, when the moonlight dims. After the eclipse ends, the light from the full moon will likely outshine the green and red glow of the northern lights.
An aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, fill the night sky over the Tallinn bay of the Baltic Sea in Tallinn, Estonia, on March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
If the aurora does glow, it would be limited to Canada and the far northern United States, in dark areas away from city light pollution.
Eclipse coincides with the Full Sturgeon Moon
The eclipse will unfold during August's full moon, commonly called the Full Sturgeon Moon.
The nickname can be traced back to lake sturgeon found in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, which historically were more readily caught during this part of the summer, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
The moon will already appear full as the eclipse begins Thursday night, but its appearance will change dramatically as Earth's shadow gradually spreads across the lunar surface.
It will also be the final full moon of summer with the next set to rise four nights after the autumnal equinox.
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