Spectacular partial lunar eclipse visible tonight — here’s what to know

In case you haven’t heard, Huntsville’s sky will feature a partial lunar eclipse tonight — here’s everything you’ll need to know👇

🌕According to NASA’s report, the first visible change of the Moon’s surface can be seen at 9:34PM CT on August 27, 2026. The peak of tonight’s lunar eclipse will occur at approximately 11:12PM CT, and will have 96% of the Moon’s surface covered by the Earth’s shadow.

Here are some helpful tips to get the most out of this amazing astrological event:

• No equipment/glasses needed
• While not necessary, binoculars or a telescope will provide the best view
• Keep an eye on the forecast + try to work around cloud cover

We can’t predict the weather, so let’s keep our fingers crossed for clear skies tonight🤞

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So… what is a lunar eclipse anyway?

Lunar eclipses only occur during the full Moon phase, meaning the Earth is situated between it and the Sun. This creates the opportunity, when all things align correctly, for the moon to become fully or partially covered by the Earth’s shadow — known as its “umbra.”

Due to the relative tilt of the Moon’s orbit, these cosmic events only happen a few times a year — otherwise, they would occur on a monthly basis.

It might seem counterintuitive that the Moon appears red when it moves into Earth’s umbra, but there’s actually a simple scientific explanation for that. Some light from the Sun is able to pass through Earth’s atmosphere and reach the Moon, but only long wavelength colors like red or orange come through — shorter wavelength colors, like blues and violets, scatter too easily and never reach the surface.

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