Before observing or photographing the lunar eclipse, it is helpful to understand how a lunar eclipse happens and what you may see during the event.
1.1 What Is a Lunar Eclipse?
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, causing the Earth’s shadow to fall on the Moon.
Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse can be safely viewed with the naked eye. It may also be visible across a large part of the Earth wherever the Moon is above the horizon.
The August 2026 event is a partial lunar eclipse. At maximum eclipse, most of the Moon will be covered by the Earth’s dark shadow, making it visually similar to a near-total lunar eclipse.
1.2 Key Stages of a Lunar Eclipse
A partial lunar eclipse usually includes the following stages:
Penumbral Eclipse Begins: The Moon enters the Earth’s outer shadow. The brightness change may be difficult to notice.
Partial Eclipse Begins: Part of the Moon enters the Earth’s inner shadow, and a dark “bite” begins to appear.
Maximum Eclipse: The Moon reaches the deepest stage of the eclipse. At this time, the eclipsed part of the Moon may appear dark red, orange, or copper-colored.
Tips: Why does the Moon turn red?
During a lunar eclipse, the Earth blocks direct sunlight from reaching the Moon. However, some sunlight passes through the Earth’s atmosphere and bends into the Earth’s shadow. Most blue light is scattered away, while more red and orange light reaches the Moon, giving the eclipsed part its reddish color.
Partial Eclipse Ends: The Moon leaves the Earth’s inner shadow.
Penumbral Eclipse Ends: The Moon completely leaves the Earth’s outer shadow, marking the end of the eclipse.
For observation and photography, the most noticeable period is from Partial Eclipse Begins to Partial Eclipse Ends, with Maximum Eclipse being the key moment to capture.
2. Date, Time and Visibility
2.1 Event Overview
August 2026 features two major eclipses in the same eclipse season: a total solar eclipse on August 12 and a partial lunar eclipse on August 27.
The eclipse will be visible from the eastern Pacific, North America, South America, Europe, and Africa. The Americas will have some of the best views of the event, while observers in parts of Europe and Africa may see only part of the eclipse near the moonset.
2.2 Check the Eclipse Time in Your Location
Eclipse times and visibility vary by location. Enter your city, state, or country on the Timeanddate website to check the local start time, maximum eclipse, end time, and visibility map.
Check the eclipse details for your location:：https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2026-august-28
Take London as an Example
Enter London in the search box to view the local eclipse information. All times shown on the page are local time.
On this page, you can check the eclipse type, start and end times, maximum eclipse, duration, visibility of each stage, as well as the Moon’s direction and altitude.
Tips for Observation
Check the Moon’s direction and altitude and avoid buildings, trees, or mountains that may block your view.
Check the weather and cloud cover before departure.
Choose an open and stable location for your telescope.
3. Before You Start Shooting
3.1 Essentials You Need to Take With
Preparing your equipment in advance can help prevent interruptions during the eclipse. Before departure, make sure your telescope, mobile device, power supply, and storage space are ready.
3.2 Update the App and Firmware
Before the eclipse, update the DWARFLAB App and telescope firmware to the latest available versions. Complete the update in advance under a stable network connection.
4. How to Capture the Moon Using DWARFLAB Telescopes
4.1 Set Up the Telescope
4.2 Power On and Connect
Briefly press the power button to turn on the device, while holding it down will turn off the device.
Click on "Connect" and follow the prompts to connect to DWARF.
4.3 Locate the Moon and Focus
1.Tap Live to enter the preview screen.
2. Tap the mode switch and select Solar System-Moon.
3. Use the dual-lens view and joystick to put the Moon in the tele view.
4. Tap the "Track" button. The device will auto-focus, center the moon in the frame, and begin tracking.
4.4 Perform Settings
1.Select a shooting method.
To take a stacked photo of the moon , select Photo.
To take multiple photos continuously, select Burst.
To capture a video of the moon , select Video.
To record how the moon changes over time, select Time lapse.
2. Set the shooting parameters.
You can adjust the parameters based on your shooting needs. When shooting the Moon, we recommend using Auto Exposure .
3. Select a filter: Choose VIS or Astro.
4.5 Start Imaging
Tap the Shoot button to start shooting the moon.
That’s the complete process for shooting the moon. We recommend practicing a few times before the actual shoot to get familiar with the device controls and shooting steps, so everything goes more smoothly when it matters.
Note: Target zoom is only supported on DWARF 3. You can tap 1x / 2x to zoom in on the preview and observe the Sun in more detail.
5. How to Capture the Partial Lunar Eclipse
For the 2026 partial lunar eclipse, we recommend using Time Lapse + AE as the main shooting method to record the entire eclipse. You can also capture stacked photos at key moments to preserve more lunar detail.
Before starting the eclipse capture, complete the basic Moon shooting setup: set up the telescope, connect the device, locate and focus on the Moon, and enable Moon Track.
Once Moon Track is active, follow the steps below to record the eclipse.
5.1 Record the Eclipse with Time Lapse
Recommended shooting method: Time Lapse + AE
Step 1. Switch to Time Lapse
After Moon Track is enabled, switch the shooting mode to Time Lapse.
Step 2. Set the Interval
Set the interval between 10 and 30 seconds.
30-second interval: fewer images and easier file management.
10-second interval: records more frames and produces smoother motion in the final time lapse.
For the full eclipse duration of about 5 hours and 38 minutes, a 30-second interval produces approximately a 22-second time lapse at 30 fps, while a 10-second interval produces approximately 68 seconds.
Step 3. Turn on AE
We recommend keeping AE on during the eclipse. As the brightness of the Moon changes, AE automatically adjusts the exposure to help maintain a properly exposed lunar image.
As long as the lunar detail looks good in the preview, no additional adjustment is needed.
Step 4. Keep Filter and White Balance Consistent
Keep the Filter and White Balance consistent throughout the eclipse to maintain a consistent look across the entire sequence.
Step 5. Start the Time Lapse
Check the preview one more time, then start the Time Lapse.
During the eclipse, you only need to occasionally check the preview to make sure the Moon remains properly exposed and tracked.
Tips: Manual Exposure
We recommend using AE throughout the eclipse. If the eclipsed part of the Moon still appears too dark near maximum eclipse, you can temporarily increase Exposure or Gain based on the preview.
You can gradually increase Exposure based on the preview, up to around 2 seconds if necessary. If the image remains too dark, then increase Gain slightly.
As the Moon becomes brighter again after maximum eclipse, switch back to AE so the exposure can automatically adapt to the changing brightness.
Reference: Start from Gain 0 on DWARF 3 and increase gradually if needed; start from Gain 40 on DWARF Mini and increase gradually if needed.
5.2 Capture a Stacked Photo at Key Moments
Time Lapse is recommended for recording the entire eclipse. If you also want to preserve a clear still image of a key stage, you can temporarily switch to Photo during the Time Lapse.
Recommended moments include:
Partial Eclipse Begins
Near Maximum Eclipse
Maximum Eclipse
When the Moon begins to brighten again
Step 1. Stop the Time Lapse
When the Moon reaches the stage you want to capture, stop the current Time Lapse.
Step 2. Keep Moon Track Active
Keep Moon Track active. There is no need to locate the Moon again.
Step 3. Switch to Photo
Switch the shooting method from Time Lapse to Photo.
Check the preview and make sure the Moon is properly exposed before shooting.
Step 4. Tap Shoot
Tap Shoot and wait for the telescope to complete the capture and stacking process.
When processing is complete, you will get a finished stacked lunar photo.
Step 5. Return to Time Lapse
After capturing the photo, switch back to Time Lapse and continue recording the eclipse.
Before resuming, check that Moon Track is still active and confirm that the preview looks normal.
Important: Do not reposition the Moon when switching between Time Lapse and Photo. This helps keep the framing consistent throughout the eclipse.
You can repeat this process whenever you want to capture another important stage.
5.3 Finish the Eclipse Capture
Continue the Time Lapse until the main partial eclipse phase ends.
If you captured several Time Lapse clips while taking stacked photos in between, simply arrange the clips in chronological order during editing.
This workflow gives you both:
A complete record of the eclipse with Time Lapse
Clear stacked photos from key stages
🍉If you are a more visual person, you can find more great video tutorials on lunar eclipses on our page. Be sure to follow us on social media for the latest updates and cosmic inspiration:
