The moon turned a deep red overnight. See the near-total lunar eclipse in 17 breathtaking photos.
A near-total lunar eclipse occurred overnight, with 96% of the moon obscured by Earth's shadow. The event was visible across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, appearing as a deep red or copper color.
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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."
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