The partial phase will run from 9:34 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, through 12:52 a.m. Friday, Aug. 28. Chicago, Minneapolis, Des Moines, Omaha and the Quad Cities will share the same viewing schedule.
MIDWEST — A deep partial lunar eclipse will darken nearly the entire Moon on Thursday night. The eclipse will be visible across much of the Midwest if clouds do not block the view.
The partial phase will begin at 9:34 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Earth’s shadow will then move across the Moon until the eclipse reaches its maximum at 11:13 p.m.
At that point, 96.3% of the Moon’s disk will sit inside Earth’s umbra. The umbra is the dark center of the planet’s shadow. However, a small part of the Moon will remain in direct sunlight, so the eclipse will not become total.
Finally, the partial phase will end at 12:52 a.m. Friday. The eclipse happens at the same moment worldwide, but the times below have been converted to Central Daylight Time.
Chicago, Minneapolis, Des Moines, Omaha and the Quad Cities share the same schedule
| Location | Partial eclipse begins | Maximum at 96.3% | Partial eclipse ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 9:34 p.m. Thursday | 11:13 p.m. Thursday | 12:52 a.m. Friday |
| Minneapolis | 9:34 p.m. Thursday | 11:13 p.m. Thursday | 12:52 a.m. Friday |
| Des Moines | 9:34 p.m. Thursday | 11:13 p.m. Thursday | 12:52 a.m. Friday |
| Omaha | 9:34 p.m. Thursday | 11:13 p.m. Thursday | 12:52 a.m. Friday |
| Quad Cities | 9:34 p.m. Thursday | 11:13 p.m. Thursday | 12:52 a.m. Friday |
All five locations use Central Daylight Time. Before the partial phase begins, the Moon will enter Earth’s lighter outer shadow, called the penumbra. However, that early dimming can be difficult to notice.
The eclipse closes an active month for skywatching. Earlier in August, the Perseid meteor shower reached its annual peak over Iowa and the Quad Cities.
A narrow bright edge will remain at maximum eclipse
The 96.3% figure refers to the portion of the lunar disk inside the umbra. The remaining 3.7% will stay in direct sunlight and appear as a narrow, bright edge.
Meanwhile, the shadowed section may take on rusty or copper colors. Earth’s atmosphere bends some sunlight into the shadow and filters out much of its blue light.
Still, the Moon will not have one uniform color. The section outside the umbra will look much brighter than the shadowed surface.
The lunar eclipse is safe to watch without special glasses
Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse does not pose a risk to eyesight. Eclipse glasses, solar filters and other protective equipment are not needed.
The event will also be visible without a telescope. However, binoculars or a small telescope can provide a closer view of Earth’s curved shadow moving across the Moon.
An open view of the sky will make it easier to follow the full eclipse. Clouds, though, could hide part or all of the event in each city.
Cloud cover will decide how much each city can see
The eclipse will occur even if the sky is overcast. However, local cloud cover will determine whether residents can see it from Chicago, Minneapolis, Des Moines, Omaha and the Quad Cities.
Hourly forecasts usually become more precise closer to the event. In addition, storms or an unbroken layer of clouds could block the Moon during the 11:13 p.m. maximum.
Animations, visibility maps and downloadable images are available through NASA’s official Aug. 27–28 lunar eclipse visualization.
The partial eclipse will begin at 9:34 p.m. Thursday, reach maximum coverage at 11:13 p.m. and end at 12:52 a.m. Friday, Central Daylight Time.
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