{
  "id": 4020093,
  "title": "The night we nearly saw a 'blood moon' (and why I love near-misses in astronomy)",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/the-night-we-nearly-saw-a-blood-moon-and-why-i-love-near-misses-in",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-28T19:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Space.com",
    "slug": "space-com",
    "url": "https://www.space.com/stargazing/the-night-we-nearly-saw-a-blood-moon-and-why-i-love-near-misses-in-astronomy"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The near-total partial lunar eclipse witnessed on Aug. 28 caught the eye of stargazers. Earth's shadow covered 96.2% of the lunar surface, with a thin part remaining untouched, making the eclipse neither one thing nor the other. The moon didn't turn red as it usually does during a total lunar eclipse, instead appearing as a sliver, unlike a crescent. This event was a near-miss for a fully eclipsed \"blood moon.\" Observing such near-misses in astronomy, like a comet that fails to brighten or a meteor shower that disappoints, can be intriguing. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the entire moon enters Earth's dark umbral shadow, creating the appearance of a \"blood moon\" due to sunlight filtering through Earth's atmosphere. The near-total, partial lunar eclipse offered an unusual tension, as the bright uneclipsed sliver of the moon enhanced the shadow's visibility and appreciation.",
  "summary": "Astronomy is often about being close to extraordinary things without fully experiencing them. Here's why to love partials, grazings, faint objects and other almost-events.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}