Moonset Eclipse Over Gölyazı

From the photographer: “Partial Lunar eclipse of 28th August 2026 was visible at dawn from our latitudes in Turkey. So, I decided to set up shop by the eastern end of Lake Uluabat near Akçalar, about 40 km from Bursa. Lake Uluabat is a large but shallow lake with a rich ecosystem.

The partial eclipse was set to begin at 0533 local time (GMT+3), 0233 UT. But a large patch of cloud arrived from the north and blocked the visibility of the Moon between 0500 and 0600 hours. When that cloud went further south and west was clear enough to see the Moon, it was already more than 40% eclipsed. Thankfully, the view was okay for the next 20 minutes, when the Moon in eclipse descended down to the lake.

I calculated our spot to have the Moon actually descend towards Gölyazı, which sits on a peninsula extending into the lake. This fishing village is located on a transient island in the lake, which is usually connected to the mainland by a narrow land bridge when the water level drops. At the end of winters with sufficient precipitation, lake water rises and Gölyazı becomes an island, so the actual bridge on the land bridge is needed to reach the village, like earlier in 2026. Gölyazı is in fact the modern day continuation of Roman era town known as Apollonia, or Apollonia ad Rhyndacum. The modern structures are still frequently seen to be standing on the Roman foundations and walls.

First picture shows the Moon around 60% eclipsed at 0616 GMT+3 (0316 UT) hanging over Gölyazı, with many water birds in the foreground going around and looking for breakfast. Second picture is a close-up with my 8″ SCT, with the Moon ~40% eclipsed at 0601 local time (0301 UT).”