Partial Lunar Eclipse August 2026: Best pictures of the 'almost blood Moon' from around the world
On the night of August 27-28, more than a billion skygazers had the chance to witness a stunning lunar eclipse that turned Earth's closest celestial neighbor almost entirely red over multiple continents. The eclipse was a partial one, meaning the entire lunar disk was not in Earth’s shadow, but it was still the best one that will be visible until December 31, 2028. The eclipse crossed a number of major cities in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and western Asia and lasted more than five hours from start to finish.
The eclipse began when the Moon started sliding into Earth’s outer shadow (penumbra) at 9:23 pm EDT on August 27. It eventually entered the inner shadow (umbra) at 10:33 pm, reaching its peak at 12:12 am on August 28. The partial eclipse ended at 1:51 am, while the penumbral phase ended at 3:01 am. If you missed the event due to weather or other reasons, check out these pictures from across the world.
Top pictures of the partial lunar eclipse
In the image below, a partial lunar eclipse is seen in Los Angeles, California, on August 27. California was part of the region where only the peak and final phase of the eclipse was visible, but it also had great sky conditions at night.
In the picture below, the Moon can be seen rising behind a Spider-Man statue during a partial lunar eclipse in El Alto, Bolivia, on August 27.
A partial lunar eclipse is seen on August 28, in Cairo, Egypt, in the image below. Several nations in Africa and West Asia were well placed to see the eclipse.
The following image shows the Moon above the stadium lights during the second half of a preseason NFL football game between the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns on August 27 in Cleveland.
Several European cities were treated with clear skies that ensured a pleasant viewing experience. This image below shows the Moon setting behind the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, in the early hours of August 28.
The picture below features the Moon during the beginning of a partial lunar eclipse in Munich, Germany.
The image below captures a person watching the Full Moon as it rises above the Tagus River hours before the lunar eclipse began in Lisbon.
The picture below shows a lunar eclipse of the Moon through light clouds above the Washington Monument in Washington.
Missouri also had clear night skies, which allowed for pleasant viewing in major areas like Kansas City. The image below features the Full Moon rising beyond the city hall in downtown Kansas City before the lunar eclipse.
In Africa and Europe, the eclipse was best seen in the wee hours before sunrise. The next image captures the partial lunar eclipse as seen across Pegwell Bay on August 28 in Ramsgate, England.
According to NASA, the next lunar eclipse will occur on February 20, 2027. It will be a penumbral eclipse, meaning the Moon will cross the Earth’s outer shadow (the penumbra) and won’t get as dark as a partial or total lunar eclipse. This one will be seen across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and western Australia. The next total lunar eclipse will occur on December 31, 2028, and it will be visible across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific.
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