{
  "id": 3571648,
  "title": "Turn Your Eyes to the Night Skies This Week to See a Near-Total Lunar Eclipse. It'll Temporarily Turn the Moon Red",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/turn-your-eyes-to-the-night-skies-this-week-to-see-a-near-total-lunar",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-26T18:57:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Smithsonian",
    "slug": "smithsonian",
    "url": "https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/turn-your-eyes-to-the-night-skies-this-week-to-see-a-near-total-lunar-eclipse-itll-temporarily-turn-the-moon-red-180989404/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "This week, skywatchers have been treated to a spectacular celestial event: a near-total lunar eclipse. Unlike the total solar eclipse that occurred earlier this month, this lunar spectacle is more widely accessible. Between August 27 and the following morning, the night sky will showcase a deep partial lunar eclipse, during which the moon will appear orange-red. Earth's movement between the sun and the moon causes this phenomenon, casting a shadow on our natural satellite.\n\nThe peak of the eclipse will occur on August 28 at 12:13 a.m. Eastern time, with 96.3% of the moon falling within Earth's umbra, the darkest part of the shadow. This portion of the eclipse will be visible to most of the Americas, western Europe, and western Africa. According to Nico Cappelluti, an astrophysicist at the University of Miami, a small portion of the moon will still glow, while the rest will be dark during the event. The darkened area will take on a reddish hue due to the same physics that creates beautiful sunsets.\n\nAs the moon enters the partial eclipse phase approximately two hours before the peak, progressively larger portions of its surface will be tinted red. Following the maximum, the moon will gradually exit Earth's shadow over the next two hours. Although this event falls short of a true blood moon, the same effect alters the orb's color, depending on Earth's atmosphere's \"sooty-ness,\" influenced by factors such as fire smoke, air quality, cloud cover, and other conditions.\n\nMore than three billion people worldwide will be able to witness at least some part of the partial eclipse phase, according to Time and Date. These eclipses are more democratic than solar eclipses, as they last longer and require no special equipment for observation. Even astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and China's Tiangong space station may have the opportunity to witness this celestial show. NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, currently on the ISS, confirms that space offers a unique perspective for appreciating such beautiful phenomena.",
  "summary": "During the peak, 96 percent of the moon will be within the darkest part of our planet's shadow. The orb will take on an eerie glow because of how sunlight gets filtered through Earth's atmosphere",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Live Science",
        "title": "Rare red northern lights may be visible alongside red moon during tomorrow night's partial lunar eclipse",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/rare-red-northern-lights-may-be-visible-alongside-red-moon-during",
        "published": "2026-08-26T15:03:21.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}