The “almost blood moon” put on a show in the sky and did not disappoint spectators.
On Aug. 27, a partial lunar eclipse took place, meaning only part of the moon was covered by Earth’s shadow. This was not a total lunar eclipse but came very close to being one. Total lunar eclipses are often called blood moons. The eclipse last night was called an “almost blood moon” because a whopping 96% of the moon was eclipsed.
As the eclipse peaked, all but a thin sliver of the moon was covered by Earth’s shadow. The moon looked a red-copper color with a tiny portion of it remaining silver as the Earth’s shadow nearly covered all of it.
Thursday’s eclipse didn’t start until around 9:23 p.m. ET, and didn’t peak until after midnight, which might have made it difficult for some folks to stay up late for it. A total lunar eclipse won’t be visible in the U.S. until 2029, according to NASA.
But if you did miss it, don’t worry. Photos captured of the moon during the eclipse show the breathtaking interstellar phenomena.
More news: Missed the lunar eclipse? Here’s when the next one will be
See photos of August’s ‘almost blood moon’
The moon as the blood-red lunar eclipse continues in San Diego, California, U.S., August 27, 2026.
The Moon dips into the Earth’s shadow during a partial lunar eclipse August 27-28, 2026. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK
A partial lunar eclipse is seen at the Sanibel Lighthouse in Sanibel, Fla., on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. More than 90 percent of the moon’s surface was eclipsed.
A commercial aircraft takes off during the start of a blood-red lunar eclipse as the moon rises in San Diego, California, U.S., August 27, 2026.
A composite image of seven separate photographs taken with a single fixed camera shows the moon during stages of a partial lunar eclipse over Pico De Las Nieves on the island of Gran Canaria, Spain, August 28, 2026.
This story has been updated with new photos.
Julia Gomez is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers space phenomena, scientific studies and natural disasters. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: See breathtaking views of last night’s ‘almost blood moon’
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