A total lunar eclipse will be visible across Brazil on Thursday night

A partial lunar eclipse will cross the skies over Brazil on Thursday night, offering one of the year’s most striking astronomical events. The phenomenon will be visible from every region of the country, unlike the solar eclipse earlier this month that could not be seen from Brazilian territory.

At its peak the eclipse will cover 96.2 percent of the Moon’s disk, according to astronomer Josina Oliveira do Nascimento of the Observatório Nacional. Although it is classified as partial, the extent of coverage will make the eclipse appear almost total, leaving only a narrow sliver of the lunar surface outside Earth’s shadow.

All stages of the eclipse will be observable from Brazil, beginning in the evening of August 27 and ending in the early hours of August 28. The Observatório Nacional has published the following local times for Brasília, which serve as a reference for other time zones: the penumbral phase starts at 10:47 p.m. on the 27th, the partial phase begins at 11:34 p.m., maximum eclipse occurs at 1:13 a.m. on the 28th, the partial phase ends at 2:52 a.m., and the penumbral phase concludes at 4:02 a.m.

The most noticeable part of the eclipse will last three hours and eighteen minutes. Sky watchers in the Americas, Africa and parts of Europe will also be able to follow the event, according to Time and Date.

No special equipment is required to view the lunar eclipse. Observers can simply look toward the Moon above the horizon at the published times. For those who need help locating the Moon, astronomy apps can assist, and clear skies will improve visibility. The Observatório Nacional will stream the eclipse live on its YouTube channel as a backup for cloudy conditions.

Two penumbral lunar eclipses are expected in 2025, and the next total lunar eclipse visible from Brazil is forecast for June 25–26, 2029, when the Moon is expected to take on a reddish hue.

Reported by Tecmundo.