Penumbral lunar eclipse in Aquarius · August 17, 2027
Lunar Eclipse August 2027 in Aquarius: Time & Meaning
The penumbral lunar eclipse of August 17, 2027 peaks at 3:13 AM EDT (Aug 17, 12:13 AM PDT), at 24°04′ Aquarius, on the Full Moon in Aquarius August 2027.
A penumbral lunar eclipse is a full moon that touches only the faint outer part of Earth's shadow, so the dimming is easy to miss. Tradition reads such a moon as a gentle nudge to look twice at something familiar. Near its peak at 3:13 AM EDT, try asking whether an opinion you hold is truly yours.
At a glance
- Position
- 24°04′ Aquarius
Penumbral: a lunar eclipse when the Moon passes only through the faint outer part of Earth's shadow. The dimming is subtle and easy to miss. A lunar eclipse is a full moon that passes through Earth's shadow. Tradition reads it as a stronger full moon: endings and turning points stand out. Eclipses come only when the full moon falls near one of the lunar nodes, the two points where the Moon's path crosses the Sun's.
Greatest eclipse
- Eastern
- Aug 17, 3:13 AM EDT
- Central
- Aug 17, 2:13 AM CDT
- Mountain
- Aug 17, 1:13 AM MDT
- Pacific
- Aug 17, 12:13 AM PDT
- UTC
- Aug 17, 7:13 AM UTC
What it means
A lunar eclipse is a full moon close to the lunar nodes, and tradition reads it as a full moon with extra weight: endings and turning points in the topics of its sign and house. This one is penumbral. The Moon crosses only the outer, faint part of Earth's shadow, so the dimming is subtle and easy to miss. Read it the same way: less a dramatic break than a gentle shading that asks you to look twice at something familiar.
The Moon sits at 24°04′ Aquarius, a fixed air sign. Aquarius is associated with original thinking, loyalty, reform and causes that benefit many people. With the Moon, which stands for feelings, habits and the public mood, in that sign, the question is how your daily needs fit with the groups and ideas you belong to. The shadow side is a stubborn, purely personal mental stance. If you notice yourself defending an opinion mainly because it is yours, this is a good time to check it.
The Sun is at 24°11′ Leo, directly opposite, with Venus close by at 25°38′ Leo. Leo is warm, generous and shows feeling through action, and Venus there colors the moment with themes of affection and pleasure. The pull is between Leo's personal heart and Aquarius's wider circle. You may notice a tension between what you want to be recognized for and what you want to give to a group.
This eclipse follows the total solar eclipse in Leo on August 2, 2027, so the two work as a pair. The solar eclipse in Leo is the beginning-type event, and the lunar one two weeks later is where the story tends to be read back and finished. It is a good time to look at what you started in early August and see what has settled, or what you are ready to put down.
Three planets are retrograde at the peak. Saturn at 27°49′ Aries moves direct on December 23, 2027, Neptune at 6°17′ Aries on December 15, 2027, and Pluto at 5°31′ Aquarius on October 17, 2027. Saturn stands for limits, duty and patience, so review of commitments fits. Neptune brings ideals and imagination, and a retrograde invites you to check whether a hope is clear or foggy. Pluto in Aquarius is the nearest to the eclipse sign and points to hidden motives within group life. Pluto turns direct first, which makes it the first of the three to ease.
Your rising sign decides which area of life the Aquarius Moon touches. With Aquarius rising it lands in the 1st house of self and body, with Leo rising in the 7th house of partners, and with Taurus rising in the 10th house of career and reputation. With Cancer rising it falls in the 8th house of intimacy and shared money, and with Scorpio rising in the 4th house of home and family. Treat each as a topic to reflect on rather than a forecast.
Also in the sky
- ◐ Paired with the Total solar eclipse in Leo on August 2, 2027.
- ♄ Saturn is retrograde until December 23, 2027.
- ♆ Neptune is retrograde until December 15, 2027.
- ♇ Pluto is retrograde until October 17, 2027.
Planets at the eclipse
- ☉ Sun24°11′ Leo
- ☿︎ Mercury0°12′ Virgo
- ♀︎ Venus25°38′ Leo
- ♂︎ Mars19°52′ Libra
- ♃ Jupiter4°39′ Virgo
- ♄ Saturn27°49′ Aries · retrograde
- ♅ Uranus9°35′ Gemini
- ♆ Neptune6°17′ Aries · retrograde
- ♇ Pluto5°31′ Aquarius · retrograde
Each position is the planet's zodiac sign and degree (30 degrees to a sign) at that moment. Retrograde: seen from Earth, a retrograde planet appears to move backward through the zodiac. Astrologers read it as a time to review, not launch.
By rising sign
The whole-sign house Aquarius rules for each rising sign: where this eclipse lands in your chart.
- ♈︎Aries risingHouse XI · friends & hopes
- ♉︎Taurus risingHouse X · career & reputation
- ♊︎Gemini risingHouse IX · travel & beliefs
- ♋︎Cancer risingHouse VIII · intimacy & shared money
- ♌︎Leo risingHouse VII · partners
- ♍︎Virgo risingHouse VI · work & health
- ♎︎Libra risingHouse V · romance & creativity
- ♏︎Scorpio risingHouse IV · home & family
- ♐︎Sagittarius risingHouse III · talk & siblings
- ♑︎Capricorn risingHouse II · money & values
- ♒︎Aquarius risingHouse I · self & body
- ♓︎Pisces risingHouse XII · rest & the hidden
Questions
✦What time is the lunar eclipse?
Greatest eclipse is at Aug 17, 3:13 AM EDT (Aug 17, 12:13 AM PDT).
✦What sign is the lunar eclipse in?
Aquarius, at 24°04′ Aquarius. It falls on the Full Moon in Aquarius August 2027.
✦Is the August 2027 lunar eclipse a total or partial eclipse?
Neither. It is penumbral, the faintest kind, where the Moon passes only through the outer part of Earth's shadow. The dimming is subtle and easy to miss.
✦How is this lunar eclipse connected to the solar eclipse on August 2, 2027?
It comes 15 days after the total solar eclipse in Leo, and the two sit on opposite signs, Leo and Aquarius. Traditionally the solar eclipse marks a beginning and the lunar one a time to review and release what that start brought up.
✦Which planets are retrograde during the August 17, 2027 lunar eclipse?
Saturn at 27°49′ Aries, Neptune at 6°17′ Aries and Pluto at 5°31′ Aquarius are retrograde. Pluto turns direct on October 17, 2027, Neptune on December 15, 2027 and Saturn on December 23, 2027.
By Dima Tretyak · Updated November 5, 2026 · Times calculated, not copied