Deep Partial Lunar Eclipse Paints Moon Blood-Red

A deep partial lunar eclipse lit up skies over much of the world in the early hours of August 28, 2026, as Earth's shadow swept across roughly 93% of the Moon's surface, based on eclipse geometry confirmed by the Royal Observatory Greenwich and astronomical data published in Wikipedia's eclipse catalog.

The eclipse began with a faint penumbral shadow at 01:23 UTC, entered its partial phase at 02:33 UTC, and reached maximum at 04:12 UTC, when the Moon appeared deep red or copper-colored. The reddish hue is caused by sunlight bending through Earth's atmosphere, which filters out blue light and casts a sunset-like glow onto the lunar surface — the same effect that gives the phenomenon its popular "blood moon" nickname, even though this was not a total eclipse.

Viewers across North and South America had the best vantage point, watching the full eclipse unfold in dark skies. Observers in Europe, Africa and the Middle East caught the tail end of the event near dawn, with the Moon low on the horizon as it set. The Royal Observatory Greenwich noted the eclipse peaked at 5:12 a.m. BST in the UK, though a low horizon and moonset around 6:15 a.m. limited visibility for many British skywatchers.

Unlike solar eclipses, no special glasses or filters were needed to view the event safely with the naked eye or binoculars. The eclipse coincided with August's full "Sturgeon Moon," adding to its visibility for casual skywatchers who did not need any equipment to enjoy the show.