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Just over two weeks after the whole photo voltaic eclipse of August 12, 2026, eclipse season will ship a second act. On the evening of August 27-28, a really deep partial lunar eclipse will see Earth’s shadow cowl greater than 96% of the moon’s seen floor. Although it falls simply wanting totality — and a so-called “blood moon” second — the eclipse will likely be deep sufficient to show a lot of the moon a reddish-orange shade, making a spectacle that can look much like a complete lunar eclipse.
For photographers, it will likely be among the best alternatives to seize a lunar eclipse for a while. In truth, no deeper lunar eclipse will happen till the whole lunar eclipse on New Year’s Eve 2028 — and the subsequent one seen in North America, Europe and the UK received’t be till June 25-26, 2029 — making this a uncommon probability to seize a dramatically darkened moon.
A lunar eclipse is a soothing affair. Unlike a photo voltaic eclipse, a lunar eclipse requires no particular filters, no elaborate security precautions and no split-second timing. Lunar eclipses are fully secure to view with the bare eye. The occasion unfolds slowly over a number of hours, giving photographers loads of time to experiment, refine their settings and benefit from the expertise — although this one arguably comes with just a little extra jeopardy than others.
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Understanding 2026’s partial lunar eclipse
Lunar eclipses can only occur during a full moon — in this case, August’s Sturgeon Moon — when Earth is between the sun and the moon. When the alignment is precise, the full moon passes through Earth’s umbra (the darkest center of its shadow), and sunlight is blocked from reaching the lunar surface; the only light that does reach it is refracted through Earth’s atmosphere. This is totality. As sunlight passes through Earth’s atmosphere, shorter blue wavelengths are scattered while longer red wavelengths are bent into Earth’s shadow. During a lunar eclipse, the filtered sunlight reaches the moon and drapes its surface in copper, orange and red. It’s the same physics that causes red sunsets and sunrises — but it’s a process that will stop short of being total on August 27-28.
At maximum eclipse, only a thin sliver of the moon will remain outside the umbra. Most of the lunar surface will be darkened and illuminated only by sunlight filtered through Earth’s atmosphere. You’ll read that this event is a “blood moon,” but technically that term should be reserved for a total lunar eclipse. Since a small portion of the moon remains outside the umbra throughout the event, Aug. 27-28’s eclipse is officially a partial lunar eclipse, albeit an unusually deep event.
From a photographer’s perspective, however, the distinction is mostly academic. Although the human eye may not see much color, to a camera, the moon will appear darkened and reddish, producing images that many observers would struggle to distinguish from those taken during a total lunar eclipse. The only clue will be a tiny sliver of sunlight on the limb of an otherwise dark, reddish moon.
Partial lunar eclipse: understanding the phases
A partial lunar eclipse has two short and one very long phase (times supplied are in Universal Time):
Penumbral lunar eclipse (01:23-02:33 UTC on Aug. 28): when the full moon begins to move through Earth’s penumbral shadow, its fuzzy outer shadow. As it does so, the full moon will dim considerably and lose its glare. It’s an excellent time to simply photograph a full moon.
Partial lunar eclipse (02:33-05:51, with max. eclipse at 04:12 UTC): when the full moon begins to move through Earth’s umbral shadow. The spectacle here is the edge of Earth’s shadow gradually moving across the lunar surface, leaving the covered portion darkened. As the event peaks (maximum), 96% of the lunar surface will be dark, and cameras will pick it up as reddish. The sequence then reverses as the moon moves out of the umbra and back into the penumbra.
Penumbral lunar eclipse (05:51-07:01): simply a repeat of the first phase, as the moon gradually regains its brightness.
Partial lunar eclipse: Europe vs. North America
The official line is that European observers are unlucky because this deep partial lunar eclipse will be lost to moonset in the west. For example, here are the times for London, according to TimeAndDate.com:
London
Penumbral begins: 2:23 a.m. BST on August 28
Partial begins: 3:33 a.m. BST
Maximum: 5:12 a.m. BST
Moonset 6:15 a.m. BST
In Europe, the utmost eclipse comes shortly earlier than daybreak, with the moon low within the western sky. That creates alternatives to {photograph} the darkened moon above metropolis skylines, coastlines, mountains and landmarks whereas the jap horizon begins to brighten. For panorama photographers, the mixture of an eclipsed moon and daybreak twilight could produce extra memorable photographs than a close-up {photograph} taken by way of a protracted telephoto lens.
New York
In North America, the eclipse happens a lot earlier, however it depends upon the place you might be. For instance, listed below are the instances for New York, which is completely positioned for a view of your entire eclipse excessive up in a darkish sky, making it best for close-up lunar images.
Penumbral begins: 9:23 p.m. EDT on August 27
Partial begins: 10:33 p.m. EDT
Maximum: 00:12 a.m. EDT on August 28
Partial ends: 01:51 a.m. EDT
Penumbral ends: 03:01 a.m. EDT
Los Angeles
On the West Coast, nevertheless, the preliminary penumbral section happens when the total moon is but to rise, with the partial section starting shortly after moonrise. For instance, listed below are the instances for Los Angeles:
Penumbral begins: moon beneath horizon
Moonrise: 7:17 p.m. PDT on August 27
Partial begins: 7:33 p.m. PDT
Maximum: 9:12 p.m. PDT
Partial ends: 10:51 p.m. PDT
Penumbral ends: 00:01 a.m. PDT on August 28
Equipment for lunar eclipse images
Lunar eclipses are one of the few astronomical events where any type of camera you have can be used:
Wide-angle camera lenses and smartphones: landscapes featuring the eclipsed moon.
70-200mm lens: closer-in on the eclipsed moon in a landscape.
150-600mm lens: detailed shots of the eclipsed moon.
Telescope: close-up shots of the eclipsed moon.
One of the attractions of lunar eclipses is that photographers can approach the event in many different ways. A smartphone is well-suited to capturing the atmosphere of the event, while a wide-angle lens on a mirrorless or DSLR camera will work well in Europe (as it sets in the west at dawn) and on the west coast of North America (as it rises in the east at dusk). Where the eclipse occurs close to a horizon, a foreground is possible. For these shots, a medium telephoto lens in the 70-200mm range should work well. For photographers on the East Coast of North America, the best option is close-ups, using at least a 400mm lens (the bigger, the better!) or a small telescope.
Whatever equipment you choose, a sturdy tripod is a must-have because, as the eclipse reaches its maximum and the moon darkens, you’ll need to use longer exposures.
Camera settings for the partial lunar eclipse
Photographing a lunar eclipse is mostly about adapting to the changing brightness of the lunar surface. For a regular full moon photo, manually focus on the moon using Live View on the camera’s LCD screen, zooming in on the limb of the moon. With that done, the starting manual settings are generally: 1/125 to 1/250 second exposures at ISO 100 and an aperture of around f/8. As the eclipse gets close to its peak, exposures might lengthen to as much as 1/8 second.
During a lunar eclipse, the moon becomes progressively dimmer as it moves through Earth’s shadow. By the time of maximum eclipse, it may be hundreds of times fainter than it was at the start of the night. The solution? Experiment. Expect to adjust settings continuously throughout the event, essentially lengthening shutter speeds as the eclipse develops, with longer exposures allowing the totally eclipsed areas of the lunar surface to look red and shorter ones allowing the partially eclipsed regions to look sharp. Consider combining separate exposures later.
One way to cover your bases is to use automatic exposure bracketing (AEB), which takes multiple exposures at different shutter speeds. The beauty of this tactic is that it helps you get around the problem of extreme dynamic range on the moon, where one portion is brightly lit, and the rest is darkened. Make a plan to combine them later using post-processing software.
Whatever settings you use, always capture in RAW, which will give you so much more data — and so many more options — when processing your images after the eclipse.
An event worth making the effort for
Although it falls just short of becoming a true “blood moon,” the August 27-28 partial lunar eclipse will bring photographers one of the finest lunar photography opportunities until the end of 2028. Whether you’re shooting close-ups from North America or an odd-looking moonset in Europe, Earth’s shadow will put on a memorable show. If the skies are clear, it will be worth making the effort.
Read more:
• Astrophotography tools: the best camera, lenses and gear
• The best lenses for astrophotography
• The best star tracker camera mounts
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