Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Timings for the eclipse from your location: timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2026-august-28
This month we have a partial lunar eclipse on the 28th august which is visible from the UK, and Europe, Africa and America. Eclipses come in pairs, and this one follows after the total solar eclipse we had on the 12th.
On that day the alignment was right for the Moon to block the Sun, which means 2 weeks later the alignment is also right for Earth to block the Moon.
The Moon will turn reddish as it passes into Earth’s fuzzy sunset shadow. I’ll pop a link in the video description below so you can look up the timing for when the eclipse will start for you. Here in the UK the eclipse starts around 2:30, with the maximum just after 5am before the moon sets an hour later.
So if you’re up that early and it’s clear on western horizon where you usually see the sunset, this will look spectacular. You’ll have an orange moon with a bit of Earth shadow cast on it low in the sky. That means the moon illusion will be really strong, making the Moon appear bigger than it is to our eyes because we have nearby things to compare it to like buildings, trees and pylons.
That’s the perfect recipe for some beautiful astrophotography shots if you want to give it a go.
As always send me any photos you manage to capture of the night sky, because I’d always love to see them, everything from beginner iPhone shots, to first deep sky object attempts, to “I can do this in my sleep I’m a pro” - I’d love to see them all.
Video filmed on a Sony ⍺7 IV
Video edited by Martino Gasparrini: martino.freelance@gmail.com
Video produced by Marina Hui & Dr Becky Smethurst
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📚 My book, "A Brief History of Black Holes", out NOW in hardback, paperback, e-book and audiobook (which I narrated myself!): lnk.to/DrBecky
---
👕 My merch, including JWST designs, are available here (with worldwide shipping!): dr-becky.teemill.com
---
🎧 Royal Astronomical Society Podcast that I co-host: podfollow.com/supermassive
---
🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and click the little bell icon to be notified when I post a new video!
---
👩🏽💻 I'm Dr. Becky Smethurst, an astrophysicist at the University of Oxford. I love making videos about science with an unnatural level of enthusiasm. I like to focus on how we know things, not just what we know. And especially, the things we still don't know. If you've ever wondered about something in space and couldn't find an answer online - you can ask me! My day job is to do research into how supermassive black holes can affect the galaxies that they live in. In particular, I look at whether the energy output from the disk of material orbiting around a growing supermassive black hole can stop a galaxy from forming stars.
drbecky.uk.com
Timings for the eclipse from your location: timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2026-august-28
This month we have a partial lunar eclipse on the 28th august which is visible from the UK, and Europe, Africa and America. Eclipses come in pairs, and this one follows after the total solar eclipse we had on the 12th.
On that day the alignment was right for the Moon to block the Sun, which means 2 weeks later the alignment is also right for Earth to block the Moon.
The Moon will turn reddish as it passes into Earth’s fuzzy sunset shadow. I’ll pop a link in the video description below so you can look up the timing for when the eclipse will start for you. Here in the UK the eclipse starts around 2:30, with the maximum just after 5am before the moon sets an hour later.
So if you’re up that early and it’s clear on western horizon where you usually see the sunset, this will look spectacular. You’ll have an orange moon with a bit of Earth shadow cast on it low in the sky. That means the moon illusion will be really strong, making the Moon appear bigger than it is to our eyes because we have nearby things to compare it to like buildings, trees and pylons.
That’s the perfect recipe for some beautiful astrophotography shots if you want to give it a go.
As always send me any photos you manage to capture of the night sky, because I’d always love to see them, everything from beginner iPhone shots, to first deep sky object attempts, to “I can do this in my sleep I’m a pro” - I’d love to see them all.
Video filmed on a Sony ⍺7 IV
Video edited by Martino Gasparrini: martino.freelance@gmail.com
Video produced by Marina Hui & Dr Becky Smethurst
---
📚 My book, "A Brief History of Black Holes", out NOW in hardback, paperback, e-book and audiobook (which I narrated myself!): lnk.to/DrBecky
---
👕 My merch, including JWST designs, are available here (with worldwide shipping!): dr-becky.teemill.com
---
🎧 Royal Astronomical Society Podcast that I co-host: podfollow.com/supermassive
---
🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and click the little bell icon to be notified when I post a new video!
---
👩🏽💻 I'm Dr. Becky Smethurst, an astrophysicist at the University of Oxford. I love making videos about science with an unnatural level of enthusiasm. I like to focus on how we know things, not just what we know. And especially, the things we still don't know. If you've ever wondered about something in space and couldn't find an answer online - you can ask me! My day job is to do research into how supermassive black holes can affect the galaxies that they live in. In particular, I look at whether the energy output from the disk of material orbiting around a growing supermassive black hole can stop a galaxy from forming stars.
drbecky.uk.com
