Total lunar eclipse to turn Moon blood red, invisible from India on August 28

Total lunar eclipse sweeps Americas as India misses daylight event

Nearly one billion people across North and South America will witness a total lunar eclipse on August 28, 2026, when Earth's shadow will cover approximately 96% of the Moon's surface, turning it a deep red.

The eclipse will run from 6.53 a.m. to 12.32 p.m. IST, reaching maximum coverage at 9.43 a.m. IST when the Moon sits deepest inside Earth's shadow. However, the spectacle will remain invisible across India, Australia, Antarctica and the Pacific Rim because the event unfolds during daylight hours in those regions.

Who else can watch

Partial views will stretch across parts of Europe, Africa and West Asia, giving roughly 44% of the global population a chance to observe the phenomenon.

Why the Moon turns red

During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon moves entirely into the darkest part of Earth's shadow—the umbra—creating what astronomers call a "Blood Moon". The reddish-orange glow results from sunlight bending through Earth's atmosphere and filtering onto the lunar surface.

This contrasts with a partial lunar eclipse, where only a section of the Moon enters the umbra, and a penumbral eclipse, in which the Moon passes through Earth's faint outer shadow and the dimming is often too subtle for the naked eye to detect.

The timing question

A lunar eclipse can only occur during a full moon, when Earth aligns directly between the Sun and Moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface. The August 2026 event has drawn heightened interest in India because it coincides with the Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan, prompting searches for eclipse timings and duration despite its invisibility from the subcontinent.

Source: The Hindu