Will the residents of Azerbaijan see the last lunar eclipse of the year?

The last eclipse of this year will take place on August 28.

As 1news.az reports, this was announced by the N. Tusi Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory.

It is noted that this will be a partial lunar eclipse. That is, the Earth's shadow will not cover the Moon completely. A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon does not fall exactly at the point of intersection of the orbits of the Earth and the Moon. The plane of the Moon's orbit forms an angle of only 5 degrees with the plane of the Earth's orbit. Since this angle is small, the Moon does not pass exactly along the line between the Earth and the Sun every month. For this reason, eclipses do not occur monthly, but only when the Moon, the Earth, and the Sun are in the appropriate configuration — in a straight line or with a slight deviation. A lunar eclipse is possible only during the full moon phase.

The eclipse will begin on August 28 at 05:23 and end at 11:01. It will be possible to observe it in Europe, Africa, North and South America, as well as in areas of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans. In Azerbaijan, civil twilight falls at 05:35, and although the Moon will be above the horizon, dawn will begin just 12 minutes after the start of the eclipse. This period will coincide with the penumbral phase of the eclipse, which is difficult to distinguish with the naked eye — it is felt only as a slight decrease in the brightness of the Moon.

Let us note that of the three previous eclipses of 2026 — two solar and one lunar — none was observed from the territory of Azerbaijan. In 2027, a total of five eclipses will occur: two solar and three lunar. Of these, the penumbral lunar eclipse on February 21 and the total solar eclipse on August 2 will be observable from the territory of Azerbaijan. Since during the solar eclipse Azerbaijan will not fall within the band of total shadow, it will be observed as a partial eclipse on the country's territory.