96% Blood Moon Falls Just Short of Totality

A deep partial lunar eclipse painted the moon copper-red across the Americas, thrilling sky.

On the night of August 27 into the early hours of August 28, 2026, a deep partial lunar eclipse swept across the skies of North and South America, with parts of Europe and Africa also catching the show. According to Mashable, Earth's dark shadow swallowed over 96 percent of the lunar face at peak, painting the moon the color of a hot fireplace poker. Both WLWT and WMTW corroborate that roughly 96 percent of the moon passed through Earth's umbra, the darkest part of the planet's shadow. The reddish-orange hue commonly called a "blood moon" was visible to the naked eye, no special glasses required.

The eclipse came tantalizingly close to a full total lunar eclipse but fell just short. According to WLWT, NASA confirmed the event reached about 96 percent coverage, narrowly missing totality. Mashable reports that the next true total lunar eclipse will not be visible for most of the Americas until 2029, making this the best major lunar light show for several years. Mashable also quotes NASA as describing the effect: "It's as if all the world's sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon." The deep penetration into Earth's shadow produced an almost-total blood moon effect that visually resembled a total eclipse at moments.

Sky watchers and photographers across the hemisphere documented the spectacle. WMTW reports that Maine photographer Jennifer Egan captured the blood moon over Kennebunkport despite cloud cover, her image showing most of the moon with a rusty red hue and a thin bright sliver remaining. The Seattle Times published a photo gallery of the eclipse over Seattle. Telemundo Miami reports that from Miami the eclipse covered approximately 93 percent of the moon, and clouds cooperated enough for the entire event to be visible start to finish. Mashable notes that multiple observatories, including Griffith Observatory and the Virtual Telescope Project, hosted free livestreams for those blocked by weather or light pollution.

TODAY.com astrologer Lisa Stardust writes that the lunar eclipse occurred in Pisces on August 27 at 9:12 p.m. PT and August 28 at 12:12 a.m. ET. According to Stardust, the eclipse marks the end of summer and the transition into cooler months, offering themes of change and reflection. The moon in Pisces aspects Mercury in Virgo and Uranus in Gemini, creating what Stardust calls a fraught tension that stimulates minds and hearts to make immediate decisions. The mutable signs — Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces — will feel the impact most intensely because four planets sit in mutable energy during the event.

According to TODAY.com's Lisa Stardust, Gemini should leverage the eclipse for networking and professional advancement, while Virgo may experience a surge of creativity and collaboration. Sagittarius is urged to balance family needs with personal values and avoid external influences swaying decisions. Pisces, Stardust writes, may face sudden romantic changes and should go with the flow before committing. Separately, the Times of India's daily Nadi horoscope for August 29 highlights that the Pisces Moon combined with Tripushkar Yoga favors second chances and repeated efforts across all signs, recommending focus on one clear priority rather than chasing every impulse.

Mashable reports that this event serves as the best chance for a major lunar light show in the Americas until the next total lunar eclipse in 2029. WMTW notes that the near-total lunar eclipse occurred just 15 and a half days after a partial solar eclipse was visible in Maine, with between 15 and 30 percent of the sun covered depending on location. According to TODAY.com's Lisa Stardust, the Pisces eclipse astrologically signals the end of summer and a shift toward cooler, more reflective months. For those tracking the sky, the convergence of a near-total blood moon, a preceding solar eclipse, and rich astrological interpretation made this stretch of August 2026 a season to remember.