A penumbral lunar eclipse will occur on 20 and 21 February 2027, as confirmed by NASA and Time and Date. This event follows a deep partial lunar eclipse that took place on 28 August 2026, which was visible across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and western Asia, but not in India.
It will be fully visible from India in the early hours of 21 February, as well as from large parts of the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, though the dimming effect will be subtle rather than dramatic.
However, sky watchers should note that a penumbral eclipse is a subtle event. The Moon will only pass through Earth’s faint outer shadow, known as the penumbra, and not its darker inner shadow, the umbra. This means the dimming of the Moon will be gentle and easy to miss without close observation, unlike a dramatic blood moon. A penumbral lunar eclipse happens when the Moon moves through the outer edge of Earth’s shadow. This region receives less blocking of direct sunlight than the darker umbra, so the lunar surface experiences only a slight reduction in brightness. Earth’s deeper shadow will not cover the Moon during this event, so the curved silhouette normally seen during partial or total eclipses will not appear. This February event will coincide with the full Snow Moon, a name traditionally linked to the cold conditions of the month in the Northern Hemisphere.
The penumbral eclipse will begin at 21:12 UTC on 20 February 2027, reach its peak at around 23:12 to 23:13 UTC, and end at 01:13 UTC on 21 February, as reported by NASA data. The event will last 240 minutes and 59 seconds in total, with a Saros cycle of 143, according to Starlust. In Indian Standard Time, this converts to roughly 2:42 am on 21 February for the start, about 4:42 am for the point of greatest eclipse, and around 6:43 am for the end.
From India, including New Delhi, the entire eclipse will be visible from start to finish, since it falls during the early hours before dawn, according to The Sky Live.
