Skywatchers across much of the U.S. got a look at a near-total lunar eclipse overnight Thursday into Friday, as the Earth’s shadow covered almost all of the moon’s surface.
About 96% of the lunar surface was obscured at its peak shortly after midnight ET Friday. That made it an unusually deep partial eclipse — just shy of the alignment needed for a total lunar eclipse.
Much of the moon appeared dark red or copper, with only a small portion remaining brightly lit. The reddish color occurs when sunlight passes through Earth’s atmosphere, which filters out more blue light while allowing more red and orange light to reach the moon.
Because the moon never passed completely into the umbra — the darkest part of Earth’s shadow — it was not a total lunar eclipse, sometimes called a “blood moon.”
The partial phase lasted more than three hours, while the eclipse as a whole ran for about five and a half hours, from the moon’s first passage into the faint outer edge of Earth’s shadow until it emerged again.
The Americas were in a prime position to see the eclipse. It was also visible from parts of Europe, Africa and the Middle East, where the moon set before the event had ended.
Friday’s eclipse was the second lunar eclipse of 2026, following a total lunar eclipse in March. It came just over two weeks after a total solar eclipse swept across Greenland, Iceland and Spain, with a partial eclipse visible from parts of the U.S.
The next total lunar eclipse is expected on New Year’s Eve 2028, with Asia and Australia best positioned to view it. The next one visible across North and South America will be in 2029, according to the Associated Press.
See photos of the near-total lunar eclipse from around the world below.
The partial lunar eclipse over the mountains in Antalya, Turkey.
Earth’s shadow covers much of the moon above the Washington Monument.
The moon rises over the Trona Pinnacles in California.
The partial lunar eclipse is seen during cloudy weather over San Francisco Bay.
An airplane flies above the eclipse over Istanbul, Turkiye.
An airplane crosses the moon during the penumbral stage over Netanya, Israel.
In Dresden, Saxony, the moon sets behind the Frauenkirche and the dome of the Academy of Fine Arts.
Earth’s shadow darkens the moon over Guatemala City.
A close-up of the eclipse from the Trona Pinnacles near Trona, Calif.
A full moon towers over the city hall in downtown Kansas City, Mo.
The moon peeks through an arch of the Colosseum in Rome.
Artwork atop the Kansas City Convention Center frames the partially eclipsed moon.
Seven photographs capture the progression of the partial lunar eclipse on Gran Canaria, Spain.
A close-up captures the reddish shadow across the moon on Gran Canaria, Spain.
The partially eclipsed moon slips behind a building in Warsaw, Poland.
A reddish shadow stretches across the moon over Brasilia, Brazil.
