A near-total lunar eclipse has painted the Moon deep red across parts of the world, with 96 per cent of its surface covered by Earth’s shadow at the peak of the rare celestial event.
The eclipse occurred overnight Thursday into Friday, coinciding with the August Sturgeon Moon, giving skywatchers across the Americas and parts of Europe, Africa and the Middle East a striking view of the reddish-copper Moon.
Although the event came close to a total lunar eclipse, it was classified as a partial lunar eclipse because a small portion of the Moon remained outside Earth’s darkest shadow, known as the umbra.
At its peak shortly after midnight Eastern Time on Friday, about 96 per cent of the lunar surface was obscured, Yahoonews reported Friday alongside images of the eclipse across the globe.
The deep red and copper colour seen across much of the Moon was caused by sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere before reaching the lunar surface.
Earth’s atmosphere filters out much of the blue light, allowing more red and orange light to pass through and illuminate the Moon.
The partial phase lasted for more than three hours, while the entire eclipse lasted about five and a half hours, from the Moon’s first passage into the outer part of Earth’s shadow until it emerged.
Photographers captured the spectacle above landmarks and landscapes in several countries, including the United States, Turkey, Israel, Italy, Spain, Poland, Brazil and Guatemala.
In the United States, images showed the eclipsed Moon above the Washington Monument and across locations in California, Kansas and New York.
The Americas had the best opportunity to observe the event, while parts of Europe, Africa and the Middle East also witnessed portions of the eclipse before the Moon set.
Friday’s spectacle was the second lunar eclipse of 2026, following a total lunar eclipse in March.
It also came just over two weeks after a total solar eclipse crossed Greenland, Iceland and Spain, while a partial eclipse was visible from parts of the United States.
The next total lunar eclipse is expected on New Year’s Eve in 2028, with Asia and Australia expected to have the best views.
The next total lunar eclipse visible across North and South America is expected in 2029.
