Sturgeon Full Moon 2026: Partial Lunar Eclipse Turns the Moon Red over Paris on 28 August

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Sturgeon Full Moon 2026: Partial Lunar Eclipse Turns the Moon Red

The Sturgeon Full Moon is the last great full moon of summer and, in 2026, it has a lovely surprise in store above the Île-de-France. The rendezvous is set for Friday 28 August 2026, when the full moon reaches its maximum at 06:18 (Paris time). That night (from Thursday 27 to Friday 28 August), our satellite doesn't just glow — it slips partly into the Earth's shadow and takes on a striking coppery hue, visible to the naked eye.

The Sturgeon Moon — Why the Curious Name?

The name comes from the Indigenous peoples of North America, who lived around the Great Lakes. In August, the sturgeon (that giant prehistoric fish) swam upriver in abundance, making it the perfect time for fishing.

Other traditions speak of the Green Corn Moon, the Grain Moon or the Blueberry Moon — all nods to the first harvests of late summer. Every full moon in the calendar carries a nickname inherited from the almanacs.

When to See the 2026 Sturgeon Full Moon

The moon is 100% full on 28 August 2026 at 06:18, but it already looks nicely round from the previous evening. For a simple night of observation, the night of 27 to 28 August is ideal, with the moon rising in the east in the early evening.

The real highlight comes at dawn, when the eclipse takes the stage — that's when the show becomes exceptional.

A Bonus Partial Eclipse: the 28 August Show

This is what makes the 2026 edition special: the Sturgeon Moon rises straight into the Earth's shadow, producing a deep partial lunar eclipse, one of the most marked of the decade.

At its maximum, around 06:12 (Paris time), more than 93% of the lunar disc will be swallowed by the shadow, leaving only a thin sliver of light on one edge. Visually, the effect is very close to a total eclipse, even if it is technically partial. The good news: unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse can be watched with no protection at all, with the naked eye. These figures are confirmed by the IMCCE at the Paris Observatory and by NASA.

Why Does the Moon Turn Red?

This is the detail that makes the show so fascinating: the masked portion doesn't disappear into blackness — it turns coppery red. It is sometimes called a "copper moon", cousin of the famous "blood moon" of total eclipses.

The phenomenon is simple to explain. Even in the Earth's shadow, a little sunlight keeps passing through our atmosphere before striking the moon. On the way, the air scatters the blue tones and lets only the reds and oranges through. The result: it's as if the glow of every sunrise and sunset on the planet were projected onto the lunar disc at once. The more dust or clouds in the atmosphere, the deeper the red.

One small caveat: in the Île-de-France, it's a race against dawn. The partial phase starts around 04:33, but the moon stays very low on the western horizon and sets shortly after 06:45, while the sun rises around 07:01. In other words, you need to get up early and time it right. And because the moon will be grazing the horizon, its coppery tint may be even more pronounced near the horizon.

How to See the Eclipse Well in the Île-de-France

The key word is an unobstructed horizon to the west (more precisely west-southwest). At the key moment the moon sits only a few degrees above the horizon: the slightest building, row of trees or hill can hide it. So skip the low-lying city centres in favour of a high point or a wide-open space.

The good news: the eclipse will be clearly visible from Paris, just under a bit of a challenge. At maximum, around 06:13, the moon sits only about 8 degrees above the horizon, very low in the western sky. It's all a race against dawn, since the sun rises around 07:01 and the moon sets just before, still largely bitten by the shadow. In practice, to miss nothing from Paris and the inner suburbs, get in position by 04:30–05:00 and aim for the window between 05:00 and 06:30, facing a perfectly clear western horizon.

Around Paris, several spots fit the bill: the plateaus and countryside of the outer suburbs (the French Vexin, the Rambouillet forest, the Saclay plateau, the Seine-et-Marne plains) offer wider horizons and less light pollution. Scout your spot the day before, bring binoculars to better catch the coppery tint, and check the forecast — a few clouds on the western horizon are enough to spoil the view.

Note, to avoid any confusion: a lunar eclipse poses no danger to the eyes. No special glasses are needed, unlike the 12 August solar eclipse, when certified glasses (ISO 12312-2 standard) were essential. Here you are simply looking at the moon, which reflects a fraction of the sunlight: naked-eye viewing is completely safe, and binoculars only help you enjoy the details more.

For now, all that's left is to hope for a clear night and set the alarm.