Grahan · August 2026
Chandra Grahan 28 August 2026: Time, Sutak and Visibility in India
28 August 2026 was the chandra grahan — a partial lunar eclipse. If you are looking for the surya grahan, that was 12 August 2026, a different event two weeks earlier. Neither was visible from India, so no sutak applied here. Both are now past; the next five eclipses, with dates, are in the table below.
Quick answer: the Chandra Grahan of Friday 28 August 2026 was a partial lunar eclipse, 06:54 AM to 12:32 PM IST (partial phase 08:04 to 11:22 AM, maximum 09:43 AM). The Moon was below the horizon in India throughout, so it was not visible here and no sutak applied. The next Chandra Grahan is a faint penumbral eclipse on 21 February 2027; the next one visible from India with a sutak is on 6 July 2028.
28 August 2026 Chandra Grahan: time in IST
The eclipse is over. The times below are the world event on the Indian clock, kept for reference.
| Phase | Time (IST) |
|---|---|
| Penumbral phase begins | 06:54 AM |
| Partial phase begins | 08:04 AM |
| Maximum | 09:43 AM |
| Partial phase ends | 11:22 AM |
| Penumbral phase ends | 12:32 PM |
Why it was not visible from India
The whole eclipse fell in Indian daytime. In Delhi the Moon set at 5:52 AM, an hour before the eclipse began, and rose again at 6:54 PM, long after it ended; every Indian city was in the same position. The eclipse was seen from the night side of the Earth — the Americas, western Europe, western Africa and the eastern Pacific.
Sutak: why none applied in India
Sutak is observed where a grahan is visible. An eclipse that cannot be seen from a place casts no sutak there, so India had no fasting window, temple closure or restriction on 28 August 2026. Any city-wise "sutak timings" circulated for India on this date were copied without checking the sky. The classical view of how a grahan is read — its path, nakshatra and regional effect — is in eclipses in Medini Jyotish.
Which rashi and nakshatra the eclipse fell in
At the maximum the Moon was at about 10° Kumbha in Shatabhisha nakshatra, conjunct Rahu, with the Sun and Ketu opposite in Simha (sidereal, Lahiri). In a chart, an eclipse is felt most where Kumbha and Simha fall — the houses they occupy from your lagna and Moon — and by anyone with the Moon, lagna or a running dasha lord near those degrees. Not sure of your Moon sign? See the guide to the 12 rashis or make your free kundli.
The Surya Grahan of August 2026 was on the 12th
August 2026 had two eclipses: a total solar eclipse on 12 August, whose path crossed the Arctic, Iceland and Spain, and this lunar eclipse on the 28th. Neither was visible from India, so the month passed with no sutak here. Both are covered on the August 2026 grahan page.
The same day was Raksha Bandhan
28 August 2026 was Shravana Purnima — Rakhi. With no visible grahan and no sutak in India, Rakhi was unaffected and tied in the normal auspicious windows. The month's full sky is in the August 2026 transit guide.
Next Chandra Grahan: 2027 and 2028 in India
Computed on the Swiss Ephemeris in IST, with visibility checked from New Delhi:
| Date | Type | Time (IST) | In India | Sutak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 21 Feb 2027 | Penumbral | 2:42 AM to 6:43 AM (maximum 4:43 AM) | Moon up, shading barely perceptible | No (penumbral) |
| Sun 18 Jul 2027 | Penumbral | 9:27 PM to 9:39 PM (maximum 9:33 PM) | Moon up, too faint to notice | No (penumbral) |
| Tue 17 Aug 2027 | Penumbral | Daytime (maximum 12:44 PM) | No, Moon below the horizon | No |
| Wed 12 Jan 2028 | Partial | Morning (maximum 9:43 AM) | No, Moon below the horizon | No |
| Thu 6 Jul 2028 | Partial | 10:39 PM to 1:01 AM (maximum 11:50 PM) | Yes, across India | Yes, from 9 hours before it begins |
The next Chandra Grahan clearly visible from India, and the next with a sutak, is the partial eclipse on the night of 6 July 2028.
Every grahan of 2027, with dates
Computed from the Swiss Ephemeris. Times are IST at greatest eclipse; India visibility decides whether sutak applies, and a penumbral lunar eclipse carries no sutak in any case.
| Date | Type | Greatest (IST) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 February 2027 | Surya grahan — annular | 9:29 PM |
| 21 February 2027 | Chandra grahan — penumbral | 4:42 AM |
| 18 July 2027 | Chandra grahan — penumbral | 9:33 PM |
| 2 August 2027 | Surya grahan — total | 3:36 PM |
| 17 August 2027 | Chandra grahan — penumbral | 12:43 PM |
The one to mark is 2 August 2027: a total solar eclipse that India sees as a partial eclipse in the afternoon — in New Delhi from 3:53 PM to 5:03 PM IST, maximum 4:29 PM — so sutak applies in India. Full city timings are on the Grahan 2027 page.
Is the 28 August 2026 grahan a concern during pregnancy in India?
The short answer for India: no restrictions apply, because this eclipse is not visible from India. Sutak is reckoned only where an eclipse is actually visible. This partial lunar eclipse falls in Indian daytime (06:54–12:32 IST) with the Moon below the horizon, so nothing is visible from India. So the traditional sutak window — and everything customarily observed during it — does not arise for anyone in India on this date.
Where an eclipse is visible, many families follow customs during sutak: resting indoors, not cooking or eating during the window, and chanting or praying. These are observances of tradition. It is worth being equally clear that there is no medical evidence that an eclipse harms a pregnancy or a baby, and no reputable astrologer should tell you otherwise or sell you a remedy against it.
If you are pregnant and would like to follow the custom where it applies, please do so in a way that does not compromise your health: do not skip meals, fluids or prescribed medication, and do not delay any medical care because of a sutak window. For anything concerning your pregnancy or your baby, your doctor or midwife is the right person to ask — astrology is not a substitute for medical advice and will never be presented as one here.
Frequently asked questions
What was the time of the Chandra Grahan on 28 August 2026?
The partial lunar eclipse of 28 August 2026 ran from 06:54 AM to 12:32 PM IST including the faint penumbral phase. The partial (umbral) phase was 08:04 AM to 11:22 AM IST, with the maximum at 09:43 AM IST.
Was the 28 August 2026 Chandra Grahan visible in India?
No. The Moon had set in India before the eclipse began (Delhi moonset 5:52 AM) and rose only after it ended (Delhi moonrise 6:54 PM). It was seen from the Americas, western Europe, western Africa and the eastern Pacific.
Was there a sutak in India for this grahan?
No. Sutak is observed only where a grahan is visible, so there was no sutak, fasting window or temple closure in India for 28 August 2026.
Was there a Surya Grahan on 28 August 2026?
No. 28 August 2026 was a Chandra Grahan (lunar eclipse). The Surya Grahan of August 2026 was the total solar eclipse of 12 August, which was also not visible from India.
Did the grahan affect Raksha Bandhan on 28 August 2026?
No. Raksha Bandhan fell on the same Shravana Purnima, and because the eclipse was not visible from India and carried no sutak here, Rakhi was tied in the normal auspicious windows.
When is the next Chandra Grahan?
The next lunar eclipse is a penumbral one on Sunday 21 February 2027 (maximum 4:43 AM IST), too faint to notice and with no sutak. The next Chandra Grahan clearly visible from India, with a sutak, is the partial eclipse on the night of 6 July 2028.
Related eclipse guides
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