When Is The Next Full Moon? North America To See A 96% ‘Blood Moon

Following the full Buck Moon that rose on July 29, the upcoming full Sturgeon Moon promises to be one of the major celestial highlights of 2026, according to Forbes. The event serves as the second and final act of a busy eclipse season, arriving just over two weeks after a total solar eclipse occurs on August 12.

Timing and Visibility for North America

For observers in North and South America, viewing conditions will be exceptionally favorable, with spectators able to follow the entire celestial progression from start to finish under clear skies. According to Forbes, the global moment of maximum eclipse takes place at 12:12 a.m. EDT on August 28, which corresponds to 9:12 p.m. PDT on August 27.

The East Coast will experience the entire overnight progression between 9:33 p.m. EDT and 3:01 a.m. EDT. Meanwhile, viewers on the West Coast will catch the event from moonrise at 7:17 p.m. PDT until midnight local time. Unlike the solar eclipse earlier in the month, Forbes notes that a lunar eclipse is entirely safe to observe with the naked eye as it unfolds slowly over a total duration of 5 hours and 38 minutes.

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What to Expect During the 96 Percent Partial Eclipse

At the moment of maximum eclipse, 96.2 percent of the moon will lie securely within Earth’s umbral shadow, as reported by Forbes. While a thin sliver of the lunar surface will remain illuminated, the vast majority of the moon will darken and display a subtle reddish-orange glow reminiscent of the total lunar eclipse that crossed North America earlier in the year on March 3, 2026.

Lunar eclipses occur exclusively during a full moon when Earth positions itself directly between the sun and the moon. As Forbes explains, sunlight reaching the lunar surface must first pass through Earth’s atmosphere, which filters out most blue light while allowing longer red wavelengths to pass through. This atmospheric filtering creates an effect as if thousands of sunsets are being projected onto the moon. Because the alignment falls just short of perfection during this particular event, a small portion stays outside the umbral shadow, keeping the moon from achieving true totality.

Rarity in the Global Eclipse Calendar

Skywatchers who miss the August display will face a significant wait for comparable lunar spectacles. According to Forbes, this deep partial eclipse will be the finest lunar event visible anywhere in the world until a total lunar eclipse arrives on December 31, 2028. Furthermore, North American observers will not see another total lunar eclipse until June 26, 2029.

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Beyond the impressive color change, the August 27-28 event provides a unique chance to watch the distinct edge of Earth’s shadow gradually advance, peak, and fade across the lunar landscape, offering an experience that closely mirrors totality while preserving a thin, sunlit crescent along the moon’s boundary.