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Lunar Eclipse of 28 August 2026 in Portugal

Lunar eclipse 2026: phase times and moonset, city by city

The lunar eclipse of 28 August 2026 is visible from the whole of Portugal: the partial phase runs from 03:34 to 06:52 on the mainland, maximum comes at 05:13 and 93% of the Moon sits inside Earth’s shadow. Here are the times of every phase, moonset in 22 cities, where to look and why you need no glasses at all.

By Elijah·UPDATED AUGUST 2026·6 MIN·OFFICIAL SOURCES
KEY FACTS
When
Early hours of Friday, 28 August 2026
On the mainland
Partial phase from 03:34 to 06:52, maximum at 05:13
Depth
93% of the Moon’s diameter inside Earth’s shadow
Protection
None needed: looking at the Moon is always safe
▾
MADRUGADA DE SEXTA-FEIRA, 28 DE AGOSTO DE 2026
MÁXIMO DO ECLIPSE ÀS
05:13
PENUMBRA02:24
PARCIAL COMEÇA03:34
PARCIAL TERMINA06:52
PÔR DA LUA07:09
No máximo, a Lua está a cerca de ~20° de altura, a sudoeste, a descer. Escolha um sítio sem nada a tapar o oeste-sudoeste.
Um eclipse lunar é completamente seguro de observar a olho nu, com binóculos ou telescópio. Os óculos de eclipse são para o Sol; aqui não servem para nada.

How this works

Two weeks after the solar eclipse, Portugal gets the second half of the pair: in the early hours of Friday, 28 August 2026, the full Moon crosses Earth’s shadow and ends up with 93% of its diameter in the dark. It is visible from the whole country, with the naked eye, no protection needed. Here is what happens, hour by hour.

  1. 1
    The Moon enters the penumbra (02:24)
    Earth casts two shadows: the diffuse penumbra and the dark umbra. At 02:24 (mainland time; 01:24 in the Azores) the Moon enters the penumbra. For the first half hour you barely notice anything; then one edge of the full Moon starts looking «dirty», as if smudged with smoke.
  2. 2
    The shadow starts to bite (03:34)
    At 03:34 the partial phase begins: the dark, curved edge of the umbra creeps across the lunar disc. This is when it becomes worth watching. The Moon sits to the southwest, still reasonably high, and keeps sinking through the night.
  3. 3
    Maximum: 05:13, with 93% in shadow
    At maximum, 05:13 (04:13 in the Azores), 93% of the Moon’s diameter sits inside the umbra. Only a bright sliver remains along one edge; the rest of the disc takes on the reddish, coppery tone typical of eclipses, the light of every sunrise and sunset on Earth filtered through the atmosphere. On the mainland the Moon stands about 17 to 20 degrees high, to the southwest.
  4. 4
    The end, right on the horizon (06:52)
    The umbra releases the Moon at 06:52, with the sky already brightening and the Moon 1 to 3 degrees above the western horizon on the mainland. Minutes later, between 06:56 (Bragança) and 07:09 (Lisbon), the Moon sets while still inside the penumbra. In Madeira and above all in the Azores, further west, the ending is seen comfortably.

Moonset and visibility in the 22 cities

The phases happen at the same instant everywhere (mainland and Madeira 03:34, 05:13 and 06:52; Azores one hour earlier on the clock). What decides how much you see is the moonset: the further west, the later the Moon goes down and the more of the ending you get.

CIDADEMOON AT MAXIMUMMOONSETEND OF PARTIAL PHASE
Lisbon~20°07:09visible, Moon very low
Porto~18°07:04right on the horizon
Aveiro~18°07:05right on the horizon
Beja~19°07:05right on the horizon
Braga~18°07:03right on the horizon
Bragança~17°06:56right on the horizon
Castelo Branco~18°07:01right on the horizon
Coimbra~19°07:05right on the horizon
Évora~19°07:04right on the horizon
Faro~20°07:06visible, Moon very low
Guarda~18°07:00right on the horizon
Leiria~19°07:07visible, Moon very low
Portalegre~18°07:02right on the horizon
Portimão~20°07:09visible, Moon very low
Santarém~19°07:07visible, Moon very low
Setúbal~20°07:09visible, Moon very low
Viana do Castelo~18°07:05right on the horizon
Vila Real~18°07:01right on the horizon
Viseu~18°07:02right on the horizon
Funchal (Madeira)~28°07:48visible, Moon very low
Ponta Delgada (Açores)~31°07:20sees everything, to the end of the penumbra
Angra do Heroísmo (Açores)~31°07:25sees everything, to the end of the penumbra

Azores times are local (UTC+0). «Right on the horizon» means the Moon is under 2 degrees up when the umbra lets go at 06:52; you will not miss the main show, which happens far higher.

Where to watch: the west coast wins

This is the rare eclipse where Portugal’s geography does the work for you. The Moon descends toward the west-southwest through the whole event, so any spot with a clear ocean horizon lets you follow the reddened Moon all the way down to the water: Cabo da Roca, Cabo Espichel, the Costa da Caparica and Comporta beaches, the arribas of the Costa Vicentina, or any west-facing miradouro (viewpoint). Inland, pick high ground with an open west side; in the northeast valleys the Moon drops behind the hills a little earlier than the tables suggest. And because this happens between roughly 3 and 7 in the morning, no crowds, no traffic: just set an alarm for 04:45, catch the maximum at 05:13, and stay for the ending if your horizon allows.

  • Não precisa de equipamento: a olho nu chega. Uns binóculos (quaisquer 7×50 ou 10×50) transformam o bordo da sombra e os tons vermelhos numa experiência completamente diferente.
  • Fotografia: um telemóvel num tripé pequeno, em modo noturno, apanha surpreendentemente bem a Lua eclipsada e baixa, sobretudo com primeiro plano (mar, um farol, uma serra). Sem filtro, nunca: não há nada de brilhante para filtrar.
  • Leve um casaco: mesmo em agosto, as 5 da manhã junto à costa são frescas, e a nortada pode soprar.

Why the Moon turns red

Inside the umbra, no direct sunlight reaches the Moon. The only light that gets there has grazed the edge of our planet and been bent inward by the atmosphere, which scatters away the blues and lets the reds through: the same physics that paints sunsets. An astronaut standing on the eclipsed Moon would see the Earth as a black disc surrounded by a thin, burning red ring, every sunrise and sunset on the planet at once. How red it looks from down here varies with how much dust and cloud the atmosphere carries that season; after big volcanic eruptions, eclipses turn dark brick or almost disappear.

Frequently asked

What time is the lunar eclipse of 28 August 2026 in Portugal?
The lunar eclipse happens in the early hours of Thursday night into Friday, 27 to 28 August 2026. On the mainland and in Madeira: the partial phase starts at 03:34, maximum is at 05:13 and the partial phase ends at 06:52, just before the Moon sets. In the Azores, one hour earlier on the local clock: partial at 02:34, maximum at 04:13, end at 05:52. Unlike a solar eclipse, the times are the same everywhere; what changes from city to city is when the Moon sets.
Do I need special glasses to watch a lunar eclipse?
No. A lunar eclipse is just the Moon passing through Earth’s shadow: looking at it is as safe as looking at any full Moon. You need no glasses, filters or equipment. Simple binoculars improve the show a lot, and you can use them freely. Certified glasses are mandatory for eclipses of the Sun, like the one on 12 August; here they serve no purpose.
Will the Moon turn red? Is it a «Blood Moon»?
Almost. This is a very deep partial eclipse: at maximum, 93% of the Moon’s diameter sits inside the umbra, Earth’s dark shadow. That part takes on the reddish, coppery tone of a «Blood Moon», because the only light reaching it is what Earth’s atmosphere filters and bends. But a bright sliver always remains outside, so it is not technically a total eclipse. In practice, the contrast between the bright sliver and the red disc is one of the prettiest sights a partial eclipse can offer.
Where should I look?
Southwest, and lower and lower. When the partial phase starts (03:34) the Moon stands about 30 degrees high; at maximum (05:13) it is 17 to 20 degrees up on the mainland; by the end (06:52) it sits practically on the western horizon. Pick a spot with a completely open west-southwest horizon: no buildings, hills or trees. On the west coast the eclipsed Moon sets over the sea, which makes west-facing beaches and clifftops the best places in the country.
Is it the same across the country?
The eclipse is the same, but the ending is not. On the west coast and in the south (Lisbon, Setúbal, Leiria, Santarém, Faro, Portimão) the Moon is still 2 to 3 degrees above the horizon when the partial phase ends. Inland and in the northeast (Bragança, Guarda, Vila Real) that ending happens with the Moon practically glued to the horizon and gets lost in haze and twilight. Madeira sees the whole partial phase comfortably, and the Azores, further west and one hour behind, are the only part of the country that sees the complete eclipse, penumbral exit included.
What if it is cloudy?
Unlike a solar eclipse, there is no darkening to «feel»: under solid cloud you simply see nothing. The good news is that August has some of the clearest nights of the year in Portugal, especially inland and in the south. If the forecast looks bad on the coast (the nortada wind pushes low cloud onto the northwest shore), driving inland is worth it. Several observatories and astronomy channels usually stream eclipses live online, and the next opportunity in Portugal comes as soon as January 2028.
Why a lunar eclipse two weeks after the solar one?
It is no coincidence: eclipses come in pairs. Eclipses only happen when the Moon crosses the plane of Earth’s orbit near a new or full Moon, and that lines up during month-long «eclipse seasons» twice a year. The solar eclipse of 12 August (new Moon) and this lunar eclipse of 28 August (full Moon) belong to the same season. If you caught the first one, this is the second half of the pair.
When is the next lunar eclipse visible from Portugal?
The next partial lunar eclipse visible from Portugal comes on the night of 11 to 12 January 2028. And the one after is worth a diary entry: on New Year’s Eve 2028 (31 December) there is a total lunar eclipse visible from Europe, with about 1 hour and 12 minutes of totality: a proper «Blood Moon» to go with the midnight bells.
OFFICIAL SOURCES
DISCLAIMER
Phase times are local civil time (mainland and Madeira UTC+1; Azores UTC+0), rounded to the minute, and identical across the territory; moonset and altitude vary by city and were computed with the JPL DE421 ephemeris and verified against timeanddate.com and theskylive.com. The umbral magnitude is 0.93: the fraction of the lunar diameter inside the umbra at maximum. Unlike a solar eclipse, watching a lunar eclipse requires no eye protection.