Moon To Turn 93% Red on August 28, Yet Miss Total Eclipse Status

The Moon is set to pass deep into Earth’s shadow on August 28, creating a striking partial lunar eclipse that will come surprisingly close to a total eclipse. At the height of the event, around 93% of the Moon’s diameter will enter Earth’s darkest shadow, known as the umbra. Despite this, the celestial event will officially remain a partial lunar eclipse because a small section of the Moon will remain outside the umbra. The unusually deep passage into Earth’s shadow is expected to make the eclipse particularly noticeable to skywatchers.

A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, preventing direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. As the Moon travels through Earth’s shadow, it first encounters the lighter outer region called the penumbra. It then moves into the much darker umbra, where Earth blocks most direct sunlight. The appearance of the Moon depends on how deeply it enters these shadow regions. A total lunar eclipse occurs only when the entire lunar disc passes inside the umbra, while a partial lunar eclipse occurs when only a portion of it enters the darkest shadow.

The August 28 event will therefore come extremely close to the threshold of totality without actually reaching it. NASA’s eclipse calculations give the event an umbral magnitude of 0.9299, meaning roughly 92.99% of the Moon’s diameter will be immersed in the umbra at the moment of greatest eclipse. The remaining portion will stay outside Earth’s darkest shadow. That small uncovered section is enough to prevent the event from receiving the official classification of a total lunar eclipse, even though much of the Moon will experience significant darkening.

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The distinction is based on geometry rather than how dramatic the eclipse looks from Earth. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon is completely surrounded by the umbral shadow and can often take on a reddish or coppery appearance as sunlight filtered through Earth’s atmosphere reaches its surface. During the August event, however, a small portion of the lunar disc will remain beyond the umbra. Because that portion is not completely inside Earth’s darkest shadow, the eclipse remains technically partial even though observers may see most of the Moon dramatically darkened.

The Moon’s journey through Earth’s shadow will unfold through several stages as it approaches and then moves away from the central region of the shadow. The penumbral phase occurs first, followed by the partial phase as the Moon begins entering the umbra. The greatest eclipse will occur when the maximum portion of the lunar diameter is covered, reaching approximately 93%. The Moon will then gradually move out of the umbra before leaving the penumbral region. The event therefore provides an opportunity to observe how Earth’s shadow progressively changes the appearance of the lunar surface.

What makes the August 28 eclipse particularly interesting is how narrowly it misses totality. A difference of only a small portion of the Moon’s apparent diameter separates this event from a total lunar eclipse, but that difference is scientifically important for its classification. Skywatchers can still expect a visually dramatic event as most of the lunar disc enters Earth’s deepest shadow. Although it will not technically become a total eclipse, the 93% coverage means the Moon could appear substantially darker than during an ordinary partial eclipse, making August 28 a notable event for lunar observers.

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