See the blood moon total lunar eclipse

Stunning images reveal ‘blood moon’ total lunar eclipse

By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited by Claire Cameron

Early Tuesday, a “blood moon” total lunar eclipse made our typically pearlescent moon appear a fiery crimson in what was the first and only total lunar eclipse of 2026.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon. As the star’s light filters through Earth’s atmosphere, it casts a red hue on the moon’s surface that closely resembles the hues of a sunset. In case you missed it, photographers all over the world captured the moon red.

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The eclipse was at least partially visible to sky watchers across Asia and Australia, as well as North and South America. For those able to see it, the period of “totality,” or when the moon was completely covered by Earth’s shadow, reportedly lasted nearly an hour.

The next total lunar eclipse won’t come until New Year’s Eve in 2028, but Earth will experience a total solar eclipse in August. Look to the sky on August 12 to see the moon pass completely in front of the sun, casting a dark shadow over parts of Greenland, the Arctic, Portugal and Spain. A partial lunar eclipse will also be visible from August 27.

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