The night we nearly saw a 'blood moon' (and why I love near-misses in astronomy)

image via Space.com

August 28, 2026, 7:00 PM

• •The author observed a deep partial lunar eclipse on Aug. 27-28 in which Earth's umbral shadow covered 96.2% of the moon but did not produce totality.
• •The piece explains that a total lunar eclipse appears red because sunlight filtered through Earth's atmosphere bends longer red and orange wavelengths into Earth's shadow.
• •It argues that partial eclipses can make Earth's curved shadow and the moon's motion through space easier to appreciate than the more publicized 'blood moon' phase.
• •Examples of astronomical near-misses include grazing occultations such as Aldebaran on July 10, 2018, and Antares on Aug. 24, 2023.
• •The article highlights future eclipse oddities, including large partial solar eclipses in 2029 and a rare non-central total solar eclipse over Kamchatka on April 9, 2043.
• •It closes with skywatching notes that Saturn is becoming easier to observe in the evening, Venus remains bright after sunset, and Capricornus is returning to the late-summer sky.

The article argues that astronomy is often compelling precisely when celestial events fall just short of their most dramatic form. Using the Aug. 27-28 deep partial lunar eclipse, which covered 96.2% of the moon without reaching totality, it explains how near-total events can reveal geometry and physical processes that headline moments may overshadow. It also points to other near-misses such as grazing occultations and unusual solar eclipses, including a rare non-central total solar eclipse expected over far northern Russia in 2043. The piece concludes with brief observing notes on Saturn, Venus and the seasonal appearance of Capricornus in the late-summer sky.

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