Robert Hall in South Mississippi took this image of the lunar eclipse on November 19, 2021. He wrote: “The moon turned red once it was 90% eclipsed.” View at EarthSky Community Photos.
A Whole-Earth Event and the Truth from Above
People in Africa, Europe, parts of Greenland, Antarctica, most of the Americas and the eastern Pacific Ocean will see a deep lunar eclipse overnight on August 27-28, 2026. The eclipse won’t be total. But it’ll be nearly total, with 96% of the moon within the Earth’s dark umbral shadow at mid-eclipse.
Lunar eclipses are a whole-Earth event. But you must be in nighttime when the eclipse happens, in order to see it. The half of Earth facing the full moon – that is, the whole half of Earth that’s in nighttime – will see the lunar eclipse during the exact same moments. Of course, the times shown on our clocks will be different!
From start to finish, the eclipse will last 339 minutes. And the moon will be in Earth’s dark shadow – during the partial phases of the eclipse – for 199 minutes.
Chart showing the stages of the August 28, 2026, partial lunar eclipse. The maximum eclipse is at 04:13 UTC (12:13 AM EDT) on August 28. Image via thesuntoday.org.
Lunar eclipses start with a subtle kind of eclipse called a penumbral eclipse. That’s when the moon is in the lighter part of Earth’s shadow, called the penumbra. Very observant people do notice Earth’s shadow on the moon during the penumbral phases of a lunar eclipse. Don’t worry if you can’t see it. The eclipse is happening! It’s just very subtle at this phase.
You will see the eclipse, for sure, when the partial eclipse begins. Then it’ll look as if a dark bite has been taken out of the moon’s face. That darkness will slowly creep across the moon’s face until the moon is almost fully submerged in Earth’s shadow.
As the eclipse become deeper – and approaches maximum – you should begin to notice a red glow on the moon. There are varying opinions as to when this red color might become visible. Some say by 90%. Some say 95%. The darker your sky, the better chance you’ll have of seeing the red color sooner. Since 96% of the moon will be in Earth’s shadow at mid-eclipse, you’ll hopefully see some redness by then.
And you should see a bright white patch along the moon’s northeastern limb. That is the portion of the moon not yet submerged in the shadow. In other words, that’s the unshaded, daytime part of the moon.
Note: People in wildfire areas might have a darker eclipse. If that’s you, you might notice more of the red color during the eclipse. Or you might just see a dark eclipse. Much of your individual experience will depend on the condition of your local sky.
- Penumbral eclipse begins at 1:24 UTC on August 28, 2026. That’s 9:24 p.m. EDT on August 27. Earth’s lighter penumbral shadow will begin crossing the moon’s face. You probably won’t notice it at first. But, as the eclipse progresses, you should see a subtle shading on the moon.
- Partial eclipse begins at 2:34 UTC on August 28, 2026. That’s 10:34 p.m. EDT on August 27. As the partial eclipse begins, it’ll appear as if a tiny, but dark, bite is taken from one edge of the moon.
- Greatest eclipse at 4:13 UTC on August 28, 2026. That’s 12:13 p.m. EDT on August 27. At maximum eclipse, about 96% of the moon’s disk will lie inside Earth’s dark umbral shadow.
- Partial eclipse ends at 5:52 UTC on August 28, 2026. That’s 1:52 a.m. EDT.
- Penumbral eclipse ends at 7:02 UTC on August 28, 2026. That’s 3:02 a.m. EDT.
Moon and saros
The saros catalog describes the periodic recurrence of solar and lunar eclipses over time. Eclipses separated by one saros period (18 years, 11 days and 8 hours) belong to the same saros series and share nearly identical elements (including distance from Earth, season of the year and eclipse duration).
This August 27-28 total lunar eclipse belongs to Saros 138. It is number 29 of 82 lunar eclipses in the series. All eclipses in this series occur at the moon’s ascending node (where the moon’s path cut northward along the ecliptic, or Earth-sun plane). The moon will move southward with respect to this node with each succeeding eclipse in Saros 138.
The instant of greatest eclipse – when the axis of Earth’s shadow cone passes closest to the moon’s center – takes place at 4:12 UTC on August 28 (12:12 p.m. EDT on August 27).
At that time, the moon will lie at zenith (directly overhead) at a point in the Brazilian Amazon. But, again, all of us on Earth’s night side at that moment will see the greatest eclipse.
SPACEWEATHER.COM NEWS: 08/26/2026
GOES SUVI Coronograph, a 360-Degree View of the Sun’s Solar Flares Ultra-Violet Light
GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH (G2): A CME is heading for Earth, and it could spark a G2-class geomagnetic storm when it arrives on Aug. 28th. NASA and NOAA models disagree on the timing. NASA says just before the lunar eclipse; NOAA says just after. Depending on who is correct, the crimson Moon could be surrounded by high-latitude auroras.
As reported by EarthSky.org, “People in Africa, Europe, parts of Greenland, Antarctica, most of the Americas and the eastern Pacific Ocean” are best positioned for a simultaneous view of the lunar eclipse and the auroras.
Spaceweather.com will publish photos submitted from amateur astronomers around the world.
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Mayan Calendar Time and Synchronicity
The cycle of Offering/MULUC represents a Time of Emotional Healing on a mass scale. MULUC is a Sign of the Moon, our Emotions, and Living Water and Blood of the Christ Spirit.
The lunar eclipse marks the Full Sturgeon Moon, the Sign of an Abundance of Fish by the Native American tribes.
The partial lunar eclipse occurs in Pisces. The Sign of the Fish marks an intense emotional turning point and the grand finale of an 18-month eclipse cycle on the Virgo-Pisces axis.
When the Peak occurs early on August 28, 2026 (around 4:14 AM UTC, 12:18 AM EDT), the moon will reside at 4°54′ of Pisces opposite the Sun in Virgo.
Pisces shines the Light on a Transformation of Faith. The Virgo-Pisces axis is an alignment of Heart and Mind.
“Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have Faith in what will be.”
~ Sonia Ricotti
Eclipses are signs of an end and a new beginning. The Moon relates to our Emotions that rise and fall with the tides. The Spring Tides mark the Time to prepare to set sail. The tides of our emotions will be turned to a “free ride” to a treasure at low tide that is waiting on a distant shore.
We’ve been waiting for a Sign that a Power Greater than our Self to turn the world around. Claim the Truth of Divine Signs. Believe in miracles and the Signs of synchronicity. All the lunar calendars that guide an order of prayers agree that we are headed for a universal redemption of our souls. Why would we choose to let this opportunity slip through our fingers, when by Faith we could believe a Miracle of Divine Timing is on the way?
There’s so much we take for granted when we’re so sure we know everything. The Moon orbits both the Earth and the Sun. The difference in different rotation cycles, makes it appear as though the Moon is only circling the Earth. A lunar eclipse is actually the Moon’s transit across the Sun. From the Highest Perspective, our paths are only a hairs-width apart traveling side-by-side and crossing paths at every New Moon and Full Moon.
Only a Witness from High Above can see the whole picture. Moon’s rotation around the Earth is a Human perspective. From our perspective, we can’t even see the moon’s rotation. All we see is one side “fixed in its place”.
If we were living on the Farside of the Moon, we’d never see the Earth. Only by Faith in the Truth of a Higher Witness could we believe the Earth exists. Imagine all that we still don’t know about the Creation. We’ve yet to discover what lies under the Oceans on Earth.
Our perspective changes with every new discovery. God reveals the Truth when it’s Time for us to Know.
THE TRECENA OF OFFERING/MULUC: HEALING OUR EMOTIONS
MAYAN CALENDAR DAYKEEPER’S JOURNAL
8 Wisdom/CIB (keeb), Cherokee, Owl U’GUKU’, Destiny Kin 216, Position 16
August 26, 2026, 08/26/2026; Times Before: 12/09/2025, 03/24/2025, 07/07/2024, 10/21/2023
THE TRECENA OF OFFERING/MULUC: REDEMPTION OF THE CHRIST SPIRIT
Visit the 13-Day Trecena Guide Page for the “Tzolk’in Field Guide: A Daily Practice for Personal Discernment.” My gift for the Tzolk’in round offers an overview for each 13-day trecena and the aspects of each day of the Tzolk’in round. The page also offers a link to resources for your own practice of counting the days to conceive your own discernment of the Meaning of Time.
THE SEASON OF ASCENSION: The Offering/MULUC trecena is the 2nd trecena in the 4th Season, found in VOLUME 2: Tzolk’in Seasons 3 and 4 (PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 20, 2020)
The 13-Days of MULUC represent a rescue, and our Salvation as the healing of emotions on a mass scale.
8 Wisdom/CIB (Cherokee, Owl U’GUKU’) – Day 8 of 13 of the 1 Offering/MULUC trecena
THE JOURNAL FOR THE OFFERING/MULUC TRECENA IS DEDICATED TO IAN XEL LUNGOLD, 12 SUN/AHAU, CONCEIVED IN THE TRECENA OF OFFERING/MULUC.
Descriptions by Ian Xel Lungold (12 Sun/AHAU), wisdom and Tzolk’in calculator preserved on MayanMajix.com
Galactic Tone 8: Justice. Harmony and balance are the intent of Eight. Eights carefully weigh all evidence to reach a balance of justice. Eight is the power of organization demonstrated in the statement, “As above, so below”. From simplicity to infinity, the energy of Eight organizes all levels of creation. Some Eights are “Neat Freaks”.
Wisdom/CIB: The old ones. Wisdom of the ancients. Wisdom persons are aligned with the ancient memories that wait in the stone of temples and sacred sites all over the world. Wisdom people grow luck like a crop using a balance of prudence and tenacity. The tremendous inner strength of this sign, enables silent introspection to discover areas of oneself that contain wisdom more valuable than any trove of archaeological treasure. Wisdom persons are valieant defenders of family and community. They may become hardened to life and sentiment turned cold. In these cases, they need much forgiveness for their uncaring errors. Periodically connecting with nature and or visiting sacred sites will bring great stability to wisdom persons.
A GOOD DAY TO: Sit on a rock.
Cherokee, Owl U’GUKU’ : Symbol is the Owl is Arcturus, the brightest Star in the Constellation Bootes. The Cherokee Bear constellation (Ursa Major) includes the Big Dipper plus four stars in Bootes. Owl is a hunter, who stands for the wisdom and ability of all great hunters, the cunning of a fox, the tenacity of a bulldog and strength of a bear. Energy for deep thinkers, strong-willed, rigid convictions, bold and authoritative. Owl is the Mystic Ferryman who guides Earthlings on the return path to the stars holding the torch aloft.
[Text in italics was the primary source of inspiration for my journal. These are the sources that started my journey and they are the reference for interpretation each day. By providing the original text, I hope to offer a way to see what inspired my thoughts and by including all the aspects – allow for something more to inspire you. Mayan descriptions are those written by Ian Lungold. Cherokee descriptions came from multiple sources. Links to sources and other resources of study are offered on the Daykeeper Resources Page. ~Debra]
